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The Washington Commanders are ready to select the best players in the 2025 NFL draft, which means they are not afraid to stay at their pick if the board falls to them. Commanders GM Adam Peters recently said on the "Get Loud" podcast with Fred Smoot that you want to go into a draft able to take the best players, and not forcing yourself to draft based on need and reach for a player. In this seven-round mock draft, I'm forcing myself to take the best players available, and trading back if the board allows.
The draft allowed a top 15 player in the draft to fall to the Commanders at 29, so Washington is turning their card in for Luther Burden III to be the next weapon for Jayden Daniels. Sometimes drafting the best player available also fills a hole in the roster, and a play-making slot WR like Burden III could elevate the offense to another level with McLaurin and Samuel on the outside. Burden III has been one of the most overthought players in the draft, and could be the biggest steal if he falls this far.
The former Missouri Tiger has the perfect blend of explosiveness and strength to be a threat against NFL defenses in the slot, and out wide when the opportunity presents itself. The Commanders could use his yards after the catch and tackle-breaking ability in the open field from the slot. Burden III forced a nation-leading 30 missed tackles in 2024 despite a down year in production with quarterback play, and defenses focusing on him more. The 21-year-old prospect would also give fresh legs to a veteran wide receiver room. Regardless of where he's drafted, Luther Burden III is a big-play waiting to happen the second he gets his hand on the ball.
There were many good players of the same tier at 61, so the Commanders accepted a trade back with the Raiders for pick 68, pick 143, and a 2026 fifth-round pick. Washington gets a franchise cornerback on an injury discount with Benjamin Morrison out of Notre Dame. Morrison was considered a sure first-round pick and a top corner in the draft before his hip injury in October forced him to miss the remainder of his final season.
Benjamin Morrison fits the mold of a corner that Dan Quinn loves with his lengthy frame and ability to play press-man against receivers at the line. The former Notre Dame star plays with smooth movement in coverage and excellent IQ to make a play on the ball at any second. He plays with a quick, seamless twitch that allows him to effectively break on routes in man coverage and zone coverage. Morrison should be ready to play by the season, but if not, newly acquired cornerback Jonathan Jones can fill in until Morrison is up to speed. This is a round-1 player on film, and a no-brainer at 68 if the medicals check out.
Washington lands an edge rusher who knows how to win as a pass rusher and run stopper in Ashton Gillotte here with pick 128. The Commanders have a Top 30 visit with Gillotte before the draft, so they'll get to know him even more leading up to this pick. Gillotte wins with his athleticism, and showed that this offseason, putting up insane numbers like his 4.65 40-yard dash (1.59 10-yard split), a 36.50 vertical, and 6.94 3-cone drill. On film, Ashton has a blend of strength and explosiveness that earned him at an elite pass rush win rate of 20.9% in 2024. You'd like the sack numbers to be higher, but his 18 QB hits and 83 pressures in the last two seasons show that he has a knack for getting in the backfield.
Gillotte looks like a Washington Commander with his high motor, competitive toughness, and strong hands, and he would fit right in on the defensive line. This would be a steal at this point in the draft, and I wouldn't be surprised if Ashton went in the third round. He feels like a really safe pick in his draft, even with his less-than-ideal height and weight of 6-foot-2 and 264 lbs.
Washington needs the running game to improve, and they land a big-time sleeper running back, Jarquez Hunter, here at pick 143, who they also met with recently. The Commanders need a playmaker in the backfield, and Hunter was 12th in the country in carries of over 15 yards with 23 big-time runs. The former Tiger also has the 2nd highest career explosive run rate (runs over 10+ yards) in the entire draft at 18.9% behind only RJ Harvey. Hunter has a compact body at 5-foot-9 and 204 lbs, but he blends in his 4.44 40-yard dash speed to make it very difficult for defenders to bring him down.
Washington switched between a zone and gap running scheme throughout the 2024 season and could stick with both with Hunter, who had an elite elusive rate of 142.5 while still gaining 4.1 yards after contact. After watching the film on the 2025 running back class, Hunter finishes as my RB9, which is really good in this loaded class. He has the makings of a really solid pro in any NFL backfield.
Washington beefs up the offensive line with pick 205, selecting the reliable and durable Jake Majors from the University of Texas. Majors is another prospect the Commanders met with recently in the draft process, and he fits the mold of the kind of vocal leader they look for in a player. Jake was 1 of only 13 players in FBS to not allow a single sack in the 2024 season. There are a lot of questions left to be answered for the interior offensive line for Washington, and Jake could be a really good backup for Tyler Biadasz with his 56 starts at center, or even kick into guard to fill in for Cosmi while he recovers. Adam Peters wants the five best players up front to protect Jayden Daniels, and Majors could be a factor in that decision, even as a sixth-round pick.
Malachi Moore is a Dan Quinn and Adam Peters type of player in this draft, and can add versatility, experience, and leadership to the safety room. Moore finished his polished career in Alabama, playing everywhere possible in the secondary, including deep safety, in-the-box, and even slot corner. The Commanders love players who were team captains, and Moore was a leader on the defense loaded with talent in Tuscaloosa. The AP Second Team All-American safety finished his 2024 season with an 89.4 coverage grade on PFF and a forced incompletion rate of 23.3%. Moore also gives you reliability in the run game as a sure tackler in the secondary with a missed tackle rate of only 6.8%
The fifth-year senior missed his final bowl game of his career after undergoing sports hernia surgery, which was an injury he played through for most of the season. Moore is already cleared to play and would be an incredible steal for Washington at pick 245 in the draft, with the possibility of a decent amount of playing time in his rookie season.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders 7-round mock draft fills multiple needs
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Round: 1 Pick: 29
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
The draft allowed a top 15 player in the draft to fall to the Commanders at 29, so Washington is turning their card in for Luther Burden III to be the next weapon for Jayden Daniels. Sometimes drafting the best player available also fills a hole in the roster, and a play-making slot WR like Burden III could elevate the offense to another level with McLaurin and Samuel on the outside. Burden III has been one of the most overthought players in the draft, and could be the biggest steal if he falls this far.
The former Missouri Tiger has the perfect blend of explosiveness and strength to be a threat against NFL defenses in the slot, and out wide when the opportunity presents itself. The Commanders could use his yards after the catch and tackle-breaking ability in the open field from the slot. Burden III forced a nation-leading 30 missed tackles in 2024 despite a down year in production with quarterback play, and defenses focusing on him more. The 21-year-old prospect would also give fresh legs to a veteran wide receiver room. Regardless of where he's drafted, Luther Burden III is a big-play waiting to happen the second he gets his hand on the ball.
Round: 3 Pick: 68 (via LV)
Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
There were many good players of the same tier at 61, so the Commanders accepted a trade back with the Raiders for pick 68, pick 143, and a 2026 fifth-round pick. Washington gets a franchise cornerback on an injury discount with Benjamin Morrison out of Notre Dame. Morrison was considered a sure first-round pick and a top corner in the draft before his hip injury in October forced him to miss the remainder of his final season.
Benjamin Morrison fits the mold of a corner that Dan Quinn loves with his lengthy frame and ability to play press-man against receivers at the line. The former Notre Dame star plays with smooth movement in coverage and excellent IQ to make a play on the ball at any second. He plays with a quick, seamless twitch that allows him to effectively break on routes in man coverage and zone coverage. Morrison should be ready to play by the season, but if not, newly acquired cornerback Jonathan Jones can fill in until Morrison is up to speed. This is a round-1 player on film, and a no-brainer at 68 if the medicals check out.
Every Benjamin Morrison interception in 90 seconds
is different
The best of @BMoe_21https://t.co/p3XHlCWY5s#GoIrish
pic.twitter.com/OhcXNF9ytk
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 12, 2025
Round: 4 Pick: 128
Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville
Washington lands an edge rusher who knows how to win as a pass rusher and run stopper in Ashton Gillotte here with pick 128. The Commanders have a Top 30 visit with Gillotte before the draft, so they'll get to know him even more leading up to this pick. Gillotte wins with his athleticism, and showed that this offseason, putting up insane numbers like his 4.65 40-yard dash (1.59 10-yard split), a 36.50 vertical, and 6.94 3-cone drill. On film, Ashton has a blend of strength and explosiveness that earned him at an elite pass rush win rate of 20.9% in 2024. You'd like the sack numbers to be higher, but his 18 QB hits and 83 pressures in the last two seasons show that he has a knack for getting in the backfield.
Gillotte looks like a Washington Commander with his high motor, competitive toughness, and strong hands, and he would fit right in on the defensive line. This would be a steal at this point in the draft, and I wouldn't be surprised if Ashton went in the third round. He feels like a really safe pick in his draft, even with his less-than-ideal height and weight of 6-foot-2 and 264 lbs.
Round: 5 Pick: 143
Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn
Washington needs the running game to improve, and they land a big-time sleeper running back, Jarquez Hunter, here at pick 143, who they also met with recently. The Commanders need a playmaker in the backfield, and Hunter was 12th in the country in carries of over 15 yards with 23 big-time runs. The former Tiger also has the 2nd highest career explosive run rate (runs over 10+ yards) in the entire draft at 18.9% behind only RJ Harvey. Hunter has a compact body at 5-foot-9 and 204 lbs, but he blends in his 4.44 40-yard dash speed to make it very difficult for defenders to bring him down.
Washington switched between a zone and gap running scheme throughout the 2024 season and could stick with both with Hunter, who had an elite elusive rate of 142.5 while still gaining 4.1 yards after contact. After watching the film on the 2025 running back class, Hunter finishes as my RB9, which is really good in this loaded class. He has the makings of a really solid pro in any NFL backfield.
Round: 6 Pick: 205
Jake Majors, IOL, Texas
Washington beefs up the offensive line with pick 205, selecting the reliable and durable Jake Majors from the University of Texas. Majors is another prospect the Commanders met with recently in the draft process, and he fits the mold of the kind of vocal leader they look for in a player. Jake was 1 of only 13 players in FBS to not allow a single sack in the 2024 season. There are a lot of questions left to be answered for the interior offensive line for Washington, and Jake could be a really good backup for Tyler Biadasz with his 56 starts at center, or even kick into guard to fill in for Cosmi while he recovers. Adam Peters wants the five best players up front to protect Jayden Daniels, and Majors could be a factor in that decision, even as a sixth-round pick.
Round: 7 Pick: 245
Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
Malachi Moore is a Dan Quinn and Adam Peters type of player in this draft, and can add versatility, experience, and leadership to the safety room. Moore finished his polished career in Alabama, playing everywhere possible in the secondary, including deep safety, in-the-box, and even slot corner. The Commanders love players who were team captains, and Moore was a leader on the defense loaded with talent in Tuscaloosa. The AP Second Team All-American safety finished his 2024 season with an 89.4 coverage grade on PFF and a forced incompletion rate of 23.3%. Moore also gives you reliability in the run game as a sure tackler in the secondary with a missed tackle rate of only 6.8%
The fifth-year senior missed his final bowl game of his career after undergoing sports hernia surgery, which was an injury he played through for most of the season. Moore is already cleared to play and would be an incredible steal for Washington at pick 245 in the draft, with the possibility of a decent amount of playing time in his rookie season.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders 7-round mock draft fills multiple needs
Continue reading...
