After appearing in the NFC Championship Game last season, you could call the Washington Commanders a team in win-now mode.
Of course, every NFL team wants to win now, but not every team can say they were as close to the mountain top as the Commanders were last year, and that perspective changes things a bit.
Still, as NFL.com's Chad Reuter sat down to conduct his win-now mock draft, he predictably came up with some interesting fits, including a new quarterback for Washington.
1st Round, No. 29: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
"Washington could have selected Tagovailoa instead of Chase Young with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. It would be interesting to see the former Alabama star play in Kliff Kingsbury's scheme," says Reuter.
Selecting Tagovailoa No. 2 overall in real life would have made him the first Commanders quarterback taken at that spot since Robert Griffin III instead of Jayden Daniels, who was no longer available in this mock by the time the 29th pick came around.
Like Griffin, Tagovailoa has flashed greatness, but has also been bogged down by injuries. Last year, his recovery from yet another one forced the Miami Dolphins to shift their offensive approach to a much quicker passing game in order to prevent their quarterback from taking further hits. Time will tell if the approach continues into 2025, and if the quarterback can maintain his health in an effort to fully maximize his potential.
2nd Round, No. 36: WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
"Landing with Dallas' division rival, Lamb aims to continue his four-year streak of 1,100 receiving yards," Reuter said about this pick.
Using a snake draft approach, the Commanders get the fourth pick of the second round and as surprising as it is that Lamb is even there to begin with, it isn't a very hard choice to make, pairing the star receiver with their first round quarterback.
Now, instead of causing grief to Washington fans, the Cowboys star is finally wearing the right colors.
3rd Round, No. 93: DT Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you want to see how deep the NFL really is, just look at Vea being available in the third round where he lands with the Commanders.
"Vea might look like a pure run-stopper, weighing nearly 350 pounds at nose tackle, but he had seven sacks for the Buccaneers last season. I think teams that utilize a four-man front, like the Commanders, would still value him in the top half of the draft," says Reuter.
4th Round, No. 100: CB Jalen Ramsey, Pittsburgh Steelers
"The Commanders round out the top 100 by taking a standard-bearer at cornerback in Ramsey, who can still make quarterbacks pay for challenging him," Reuter says of the pick.
Fans who wanted to see Washington make a run at trading for Ramsey will be happy with this pick. Those who view the trade for Marshon Lattimore as a bust will like it even more.
The Rest
5th Round, No. 157: OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets
6th Round, No. 164: EDGE Carl Granderson, New Orleans Saints
7th Round, No. 221: S Brandon Jones, Denver Broncos
