NFL coordinator, scout praise Commanders for Laremy Tunsil move

The Washington Commanders became one of the more positive surprises of the 2024 season as they completed a trip to the NFC Championship Game. 

Washington then made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason when the club acquired star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick from the Houston Texans in exchange for 2025 third- and seventh-round choices along with 2026 second- and fourth-round selections. 

For an article published on Tuesday, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN noted that "most" of the teams he spoke with around the league "were all-in on" Washington grabbing Tunsil to serve as protection for young quarterback Jayden Daniels.

"Dude's still as good as anyone," an unnamed NFL coordinator said about Tunsil while speaking with Fowler. "Honestly, I think he just gets bored and loses focus sometimes, but I'm guessing he will be highly motivated in Washington, and when he is, he's among the very best."

In May, Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus mentioned how that outlet ranked Tunsil as the NFL's eighth-best offensive tackle ahead of the 2025 season.

"While he has never been better than an above-average run blocker, Tunsil continues to be one of the best pass protectors in the NFL," Buday wrote about the five-time Pro Bowl selection. "During his six seasons with the Houston Texans, he earned a 92.3 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked first among 57 qualifying offensive tackles. Now, the 30-year-old will prove his mettle with the Commanders after being traded this offseason."

Daniels claimed Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors this past February after he produced what many members of the NFL community called an all-time great debut season. The Commanders then rewarded him by acquiring Tunsil, dual-threat offensive weapon Deebo Samuel, rookie tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and others who could make life easier for the 24-year-old who played through a rib injury last fall. 

"He's still a top-three tackle for me," one AFC scout added about Tunsil during a chat with ESPN. "And anything you can do to protect Jayden Daniels and load up while he's on his rookie deal is smart. They gave up a little more than I'd like, but I trust [Commanders general manager Adam Peters] that he knows what he's doing here."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Commanders third among the betting favorites at +900 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX this coming February. If Tunsil proves to be "a top-three tackle" with Washington, he could help ensure that Daniels avoids a sophomore slump after the signal-caller guided the Commanders to within a game of the Super Bowl this past January.