• Round 1, Pick 7: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame: The 6-foot-8, 320-pound Alt has an elite overall grade this season, thanks to an elite pass-blocking grade. He has given up only one sack and four total pressures all year.
• Round 2, Pick 36: EDGE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State: The former five-star recruit already shows a good understanding of pass-rush moves. He knows the “why” of what moves to throw and creates pass-rush plans.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The Washington Commanders have been in some dogfights this season but ultimately sit below .500 and own a top-10 draft pick as things stand. This franchise could be in for some leadership changes, which means roster changes will follow.
Here is how a new-look roster could shape up with a five-round Washington Commanders 2024 NFL mock draft.
ROUND 1, PICK 7: OT JOE ALT, NOTRE DAME
If we figure the Commanders stick with quarterback Sam Howell into next season, upgrading the offensive line is likely their top priority. They signed Andrew Wylie to play right tackle last offseason, so they are probably set there. At left tackle, Charles Leno is going to be 33 years old next year, and the team can save about $7 million against the cap if they cut him on the last year of his deal.
Washington will have plenty of offensive tackles to choose from in the top half of the draft order. If they’re picking in the top eight, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt will be on their radar. The 6-foot-8, 320-pound Alt has an elite overall grade this season, thanks to an elite pass-blocking grade. He has given up only one sack and four total pressures all year.
ROUND 2, PICK 36: EDGE JT TUIMOLOAU, OHIO STATE
The funny thing about trading away your two starting edge rushers is that, when the following offseason comes around, you’ll need to replace them. The Commanders can do so here with one of their two second-round picks.
Tuimoloau, a former five-star recruit, already shows a good understanding of pass-rush moves. He knows the “why” of what moves to throw and creates pass-rush plans. He’s not as explosive as some of the other edge rushers in this class, but he has the all-around game to be used as a full-time edge defender on early and late downs.
ROUND 2, PICK 39: TE JA'TAVION SANDERS, TEXAS
Sanders, another former five-star recruit, is an alluring athlete for his size and his position. At 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, he does his best work as a receiver instead of an inline blocker. But while his blocking is inconsistent, he does have some nice reps in that facet.
He is producing more than 16 yards per reception this season while averaging more than eight yards after the catch, as well. He can jump right into a contributing role.
ROUND 3, PICK 71: LB JEREMIAH TROTTER JR., CLEMSON
At just 6-foot and 230 pounds, Trotter likely won’t get the draft love that his game deserves. His smaller size does impact his range in coverage and in pursuit, leading to a few missed tackles. However, he makes up for that lack of size with fantastic recognition. He has earned coverage grades above 82.0 in each of the past two seasons and has four interceptions and six forced incompletions in that time, as well. He is such a smart player to have in the middle of a defense.
ROUND 3, PICK 100: RB BUCKY IRVING, OREGON
Irving is having one of the best seasons of any running back in the country. At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, he has earned an elite rushing grade in 2023 while grading out above 75.0 as a receiver out of the backfield. His elusiveness and contact balance are his best traits, with 56 missed tackles forced and a yards-after-contact average above 4.0.
If the Commanders move on from pending free agent Antonio Gibson in the offseason, Irving can be a great complement to Brian Robinson Jr.
ROUND 4, PICK 107: WR TRE HARRIS, OLE MISS
Curtis Samuel is a pending free agent this offseason, but even if that weren’t the case, the Commanders should add more size to their receiver room. Samuel, Jahan Dotson, Terry McLaurin and Dyami Brown are all 6-foot or shorter. Harris is listed at 6-foot-2, but he still possesses that yards-after-catch ability the Commanders have prioritized. Harris has also shown he’s great after contact, which is not always a guarantee, even with bigger receivers. More than 25% of his receiving yards have come after contact this season.
ROUND 5, PICK 144: S MALIK MUSTAPHA, WAKE FOREST
Mustapha is an old-school safety in that he’ll make sure a receiver will feel it the next morning if they catch a pass over the middle. He is a physical presence with good downhill speed. He has graded out as an elite run defender this season, making 15 solo stops, and is also an impact player on the blitz. There are times when he is too aggressive with angles in run defense and coverage, but that’s something you can coach him up on. The rest is a lot to like.
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