Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn celebrates on the sidelines after an interception pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Commanders urged to make surprising move in NFL Draft

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Darius Hayes | Last updated Mar 27, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Washington Commanders hold the 29th pick in this year's NFL Draft after their surprising season last year.

Led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders have a chance to build on their success and build their roster for the future.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes Washington should trade down in the draft to help them build some more draft capital.

“This one might feel like a surprise,” Barnwell wrote. “The Commanders were last year's surprise contenders. Teams with a star quarterback on a rookie deal typically get aggressive and move up the board, since they can use free agency to supplement their roster and aren't as reliant on adding cost-controlled starters around their signal-caller.”

Barnwell does explain that Washington is in an uncommon situation with their roster.

"Washington is in a bit of a unique spot, Barnwell wrote." While Jayden Daniels starred as a rookie, it had the league's seventh-oldest team on a snap-weighted basis. Commanders fans might point out that imports like tight end Zach Ertz and linebacker Bobby Wagner were outliers impacting those numbers, but they're both back in starting roles for 2025."

The Commanders do not need to add a lot of pieces during this offseason. The team is being urged to make small changes and build on what they already have to compete for a championship next season. Fans will be interested to see what the team will do during the NFL draft.