How do you replace a legend? It is a problem every franchise, not just the Washington Commanders, has to face from time to time.
For this Commanders team, the next legend they have to replace is likely to be either tight end Zach Ertz or linebacker Bobby Wagner. Neither man is homegrown royalty, but each one earned a ton of respect from a fan base that used to wish them failure whenever they stepped foot onto a field with the burgundy and gold before 2024.
As hard as it is for a franchise to replace legends, it can be even harder for the players tasked with doing the replacing. In the case of UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, he may be the man tagged to replace Wagner if NFL.com Chad Reuter's mock draft comes true this weekend.
2nd Round, Pick No. 61: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
Schwesinger would be the latest Southern California addition to the Commanders' roster, and he'd have several geographical neighbors to help him adapt to the pro game.
At the same time, he'd also have the benefit of playing and learning behind Wagner for at least one season so that when the time came he'd need to compete for a starting job, he'd be better suited to do so.
On his own, according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Schwesinger will bring "elite instincts" that helps you forget he's a bit undersized and doesn't have elite speed. Two things that Wagner would be well equipped to help the linebacker succeed in spite of, considering he had the same labels coming out of Utah himself.
In three years playing for the Bruins after being a walk-on, Schwesinger racked up 163 tackles, five sacks, and picked off two passes, both in 2024.
If general manager Adam Peters could pull off finding an eventual heir to Wagner's Hall of Fame throne on the defense in Washington with is lone Day 2 pick, we'd consider that quite a successful selection when it is all said and done.
