The MattInBrisVegas 2024 Washington Commanders Little Board

Players to accelerate Adam Peters’ roster recalibration

With the draft fast approaching, it is time once again for the annual unveiling of the Washington Commanders Little Board. This is my annual wish list of players that I would like to see Washington draft.

This year’s edition was selected from the 214 players on the big board I prepared for the DraftBot’s mock draft. The 28 selections represent the elite of the elite. They are not just players I think Washington should draft. These are players, spread throughout the draft, with special talents, abilities and mindsets that Washington needs to rekindle the winning tradition which has lain dormant since Mark Rypien hung up his cleats.

The 2024 Little Board is special in two ways.

First, while I always lean heavily toward the Best Player Available philosophy, espoused by NFL GMs, this year I have indulged more than usual in seeking out players needed to successfully implement Joe Whitt’s new defensive scheme. Although, if I’m being honest, that might have something to do with the fact that he and boss Dan Quinn pretty much like the same kind of players that I do.

Second, I have also bent more than usual in the direction of drafting for need, with a heavy focus on players who will help the Commanders’ rookie QB make the transition to the NFL.

However, fans who can’t think about anything except quarterbacks and offensive tackles will be disappointed by how few spots I have allocated to those positions. While I fully recognize the importance of drafting those players, the last few months of non-stop discussion of nothing else have robbed me of the ability to get excited about any but a select few players at the positions of greatest need. I really can’t wait for the draft to be over so we can stop talking about them.

Before we get into this year’s Little Board, I always like to recap how the previous class fared.

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2023 Little Board in Review

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Last season’s Little Board blew out beyond the original concept, to the point it was looking more like a big board. To keep it manageable, I put stars on the 19 players at the top of the 2023 wish list, to identify the core players I would follow-up this season.

The 2023 Little Board All-Stars were CB Devon Witherspoon (pick #5, Seahawks) and CB/S Brian Branch (pick #45, Lions). I won’t claim any credit for identifying Witherspoon, because he was listed as an Impossible Dream (out of Washington’s reach) and was widely regarded as one of the elite prospects of the draft.

I will do a victory lap over Branch. I caught heat for suggesting him as an option for the Commanders at #16 (after my top logical choice, CB Christian Gonzalez). If Ron Rivera had picked Branch instead of Emmanuel Forbes, he would have looked like a genius. Branch slid in the draft because of a slow 40 time. He was clocked as the fastest player on defense in Week 1, and finished 5^th in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting on the back of eye popping ball production stats.

Picking Branch, instead Forbes at 16, also would have freed up Rivera to use pick #47 on Little Boarder Cody Mauch, a popular choice on Hogs Haven. Mauch (#48, Buccaneers) started 19 games, allowing 57 pressures and 8 sacks. PFF graded him as the worst starting guard in the NFL (pass 52.1, run 37.6). Oof! Nobody’s perfect.

In an unusual move, Washington picked Little Board player Quan Martin 47^th overall. He struggled initially, but improved with game time, earning five starts toward the end of the season. He achieved starting-level productivity in the running game, but needs to improve in coverage. I liked him at the end of the third round.

My personal favorite, FB Hunter Luepke, went undrafted and was signed by Dallas as a UDFA. He became a core special teamer, registering 4 tackles and a blocked field goal. He was used sparingly on offense, where he recorded 5 first downs and 1 TD on 6 rushing attempts.

In addition to the two Little Board All-Stars, 7 other players started 8 or more games as rookies, bringing the hit rate for first year starters to 47%. Those included quite a few offensive linemen who didn’t play significantly better than the Commanders’ starters in 2023 (OT Paris Johnson, OT Broderick Jones, OT Darnell Wright, G Cody Mauch, C Joe Tippmann). Several of those players should come good in 2023. It is rare for OL to come out of the box looking NFL-ready, something to keep in mind when we set expectations for the ones that Peters drafts later this week.

Other Little Board players who would have helped the Commanders in 2023 were CB Julius Brents (#44 Colts) and LB Dorian Williams (#91 Bills).

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2024 LITTLE BOARD

Hogs Haven draft profiles are linked to prospect names when available. Consensus ranks up to 100 are sourced from The Athletic’s 2024 Consensus Board. After that, I used the Mock Draft Database’s version.

Round 1

The Commanders are 99.9% likely to pick a QB at #2. There are good arguments to be made for three of the top prospects available after Chicago takes Caleb Williams. I am sure that Adam Peters will make the best possible choice for the Commanders here, and there is around a 50% chance he will get it right, unless you believe that the 2^nd overall pick is cursed.

However, after months of over-analysis and heated exchanges of strong opinions, my attitude toward this pick is like dental work. I realize it needs to be done. I realize there is decent chance of significant pain and discomfort. And I am committed to grin and bear it and hope for the best. But that’s not really what the Little Board is about.

There is one QB pick which would generate real excitement.

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

6-2, 214 lbs

2023 Stats: 14 games, 77.3% completions, 4,454 yds, 45 TD, 3 INT, 6 sacks

QBR: 91.0 (2^nd in NCAA)

Consensus Rank: 33

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

The excitement of this pick is more about what it would mean than the player. Nix won’t be the pick at #2. If he does become Washington’s QBotF, it would mean that Peters negotiated an historic trade package, and used one of the acquired picks to draft Nix later in the first round. A franchise-building package of draft picks would get me fired up.

I have also come around to the view that Nix is underrated in the same way that that two of the more highly rated toolsy projects are being overrated as picks for Washington. The Commander’s rookie QB is likely to start immediately. After Caleb Williams, Nix is the most NFL-ready QB in the class, excluding Michael Penix for poor scheme fit. Jayden Daniels is right behind Nix, but will need to learn to attack the middle of the field. Nix is already there.

Daniels, Maye and possibly even McCarthy have better long-term upside. But that’s not going to help them survive being dropped into the fire as rookies. Nix also has the pocket awareness to avoid pressure. The popular choice for Washington, Jayden Daniels, has a worryingly high Pressure to Sack ratio, which could prove disastrous if the retooled OL isn’t massively improved overnight.

I have realized I might have got my previous comp for Nix wrong. He has the potential to play like Brock Purdy, with a better arm and more athleticism. If true, teams have got to Super Bowls with much less.

OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

6-6, 324 lbs, 33 1/8” arms, RAS 9.63

2023 Stats: 12 games, 0 sacks, 12 pressures

PFF blocking grades: Pass 80.0, Run 90.9 (1^st in NCAA)

Consensus Rank: 17

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

While I’m fantasizing about unlikely trade scenarios, I might as well include one of my absolute favorite players in the draft for Washington. Fuaga is the Polynesian war daddy we need in the trenches to protect our investment at QB. He is the best run blocker in the draft class and is solid in pass protection. His tape against the best pass rusher in the draft class looks like a grown man swatting away an annoying child (apologies for recycling, it’s a classic):

I won’t speculate how Washington could draft Fuaga without giving away a ton of picks any more than I already have.

Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

6-8, 322 lbs, 34 1/8” arms, RAS 9.73 (4^th OT)

2023 Stats: 10 games, 12 pressures, 0 sacks

PFF Grades: pass 72.9, run 60.5

Consensus Rank: 28

The Commanders could realistically draft Guyton via a modest trade-up into the late first round. Or they could get lucky and watch him slide to pick 36. The only thing that would take the shine off this pick is if the Commanders give up more than pick 36 and an extra third rounder to move up for him. That sets his target range at around Pick #25 or later.

Guyton has the frame of an LT and is the fourth most athletic OT in the draft. His pass blocking is well ahead of his run blocking, which might satisfy our first priority to protect the QB. He has the usual shortcomings of college LTs, but his flaws are coachable. He might not be ready in 2024, but he the potential to develop into a plus starter, eventually. Good thing we retained Cornelius Lucas.

Day 2 Prospects

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Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri

6-5, 285 lbs, 4.95 40, RAS 8.66 (DT)

2023 Stats: 12 games, 29 tackles, 27 stops, 14 TFL, 9 sacks, 42 pressures

Consensus Rank: 32

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Big, powerful edge rusher, who switched from DT in 2023. Robinson is the kind of player that Quinn, and presumably Whitt can move all over the defensive front to keep opposing DCs off balance. He uses a powerful bull rush and tremendous length to frustrate pass blockers. He was also ESPN’s top rated edge setter in the draft class. He is the edge defender Washington must have.

Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M

6-2, 230 lbs, 4.51 sec 40, RAS 9.26

2023 Stats: 12 games, 75 tackles, 56 stops, 17 TFL, 10 sacks, 27 pressures, 0 INT, 2 PBU

Consensus Rank: 39

Commanders’ Meetings: East West Shrine, Combine, Team Pro Day

Don’t tell Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt that linebackers are devalued. Cooper brings sideline to sideline speed and an enforcer’s mentality to the second level of Washington’s defense. He excels at blitzing, spying QBs and is functional in coverage.

Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

6-3, 213 lbs, 4.61 sec 40, RAS 8.18

2023 Receiving: 12 games, 57.5% rec, 658 yds, 11 TDs, 3.8% drops, 10 forced missed tackles, 6.3 YAC/Rec

2023 Punt Returns: 24 ret, 302 yds (12.6 YPA), long 72 yds, 1 muff

Consensus Rank: 40

Commanders Meetings: Combine, Team Pro Day

Coleman will remind Kliff Kingsbury of DeAndre Hopkins, who played for him in Arizona, and also ran a slow 40 time at the combine. Coleman plays fast and gives the Commanders’ rookie QB a big receiving target with exceptional athleticism to extend his catch radius and evade tackles to pick up yards after the catch. He is also an excellent punt returner, for a team that dares use its X receiver on special teams.

Payton Wilson, MLB, NC State

6-4, 233 lbs, 4.43 40, RAS 9.81 (1^st in class)

2023 Stats: 12 games, 123 tackles, 67 stops, 17.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 22 pressures, 3 INT, 3 PBU

Consensus Rank: 44

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine

Wilson is a super athletic, run and hit type of linebacker who plays with the physicality you’d expect from a former all-state wrestler. He excels in coverage (opposing passer rating 47.2) and shooting gaps in the running game. He is also a very effective blitzer.

Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan

6-3, 267 lbs, 4.75 40, RAS 9.54 (DT)

2023 Stats: 10 games, 51 tackles, 35 stops, 7.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 37 pressures

Consensus Rank: 55

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day, Top 30 visit

Kneeland is another big edge rusher with a game built on power, but is surprisingly agile for a player of his type. He fits the mold of Quinn’s edge rushers in Dallas and can play as a DE or standing up.

Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina

6-1, 221 lbs, 4.39 sec 40, RAS 9.90

2023 Receiving: 12 games, 73.2% rec, 1,255 yds, 7 TDs, 2.7% drops, 9 forced missed tackles, 47.6% CTC, 6.4 YAC/Rec

2023 Kick Returns: 10 ret, 213 yds (21.3 YPA), long 43 yds, 0 muffs

Consensus Rank: 56

Commanders Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Legette is the ultra-athletic, big-ass receiver I have always wished the Commanders would draft. ESPN rates him as the most physical receiver in the draft class and as the receiver with the best ball security. He has the play strength to win contested catches and break tackles to gain yards after the catch. He is also a solid kick returner, which has increased value this year due to changes to the kickoff rules. The only concern is that he didn’t break out until his fifth year in college. He has been through a lot to get where he is and it made him stronger. I will pound the table for Peters to draft him.

Cooper Beebe, G, Kansas State

6-3, 322 lbs, 31.5” arms, 5.03 sec 40, RAS 9.28

2023 Stats: 13 games, 942 blocking snaps, 9 pressures allowed, 2 sacks

PFF Blocking Grades: Pass 90.4 (3^rd in class), Run 79.9 (8^th in class)

Consensus Rank: 63

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Something I have picked up on is that, if a player’s draft profile says he’s fun to watch, he’ll probably be great in the NFL. Beebe’s film clips are great fun to watch. He is a powerful blocker, who pancakes smaller defenders and moves defensive linemen out of the way to make room for his runners. He will be tough competition for Nick Allegretti in camp.

Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson

6-4, 294 lbs, 4.89 40, RAS 9.90 (2^nd in class)

2023 Stats: 12 games, 19 tackles, 17 stops, 8 TFL, 5 sacks, 26 pressures

Consensus Rank: 64

Commanders’ Meetings: Combine, Team Pro Day

Don’t be surprised if the Commanders draft a defensive lineman on Day 2. If they do, it could be Ruke. Quinn rotated five DTs in Dallas, and I doubt he or Joe Whitt is happy with the options after Allen, Payne and Ridgeway. Orhorhoro is the type of explosive lineman Quinn liked to move around the defensive front.

Blake Fisher, OT, Michigan

6-6, 310 lbs, 34 3/8” arms, RAS 7.72

2023 Stats: 12 games, 15 pressures, 3 sacks

PFF Blocking Grades: pass 72.5, run 69.1

Consensus Rank: 80

Commanders Meetings: Combine, Team Pro Day

I suppose I would get a little fired up if the Commanders managed to pick up an OT with eventual starting potential this late in the draft.

Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas

6-5, 313 lbs, 33 3/8” arms, RAS 8.09

2023 stats: 12 games, 8 pressures, 0 sacks

PFF Blocking Grades: pass 90.4 (3^rd OT in NCAA), run 80.6

Consensus Rank: 81

Commanders Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Puni is a versatile (apologies Rivera PTSD sufferers) offensive lineman of Tongan ancestry. He mainly played OT at Kansas but is generally projected inside in the NFL. He didn’t give up a sack in 2023. He might be worth a try at OT.

Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State

6-4, 247 lbs, 4.65 sec 40, RAS 8.22

2023 Stats: 12 games, 80.4% rec, 576 yds, 5 TD, 2.04 Y/RR, 6.9 YAC/Rec, CTC 60.0%, 0% drops

Consensus Rank: 87

Commanders Meetings: Combine, Team Pro Day

Stover gives me major sleeper vibes. A former basketball star, his athleticism and ball skills give him an advantage on contested catches. He is also great at hanging onto the ball and tacking on yards after the catch. He can see the field early as a big receiver while he refines his blocking.

Renardo Green, CB, Florida State

6-0, 186 lbs, 4.49 sec 40, RAS 8.21

2023 Stats: 13 games, 1 INT, 13 PBU, 75.0 passer rating, 12 stops, 1 sack

Consensus Rank: 92

Commanders Meetings: East-West Shrine Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

LSU receiver Malik Nabers could be the first or second non-QB to be drafted on Thursday. In Week 1, Green matched up against him and allowed 2 receptions for 20 yds, with 1 interception and 1 pass breakup. He is a pure press-man CB, who will fit right into Whitt’s Cover-1 and Cover-3 schemes. He is also a feisty run defender. I like him better for the Commanders than some of the more highly rated press-corners.

Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon

6-4, 194 lbs, 4.50 40, RAS 8.54

2023 Stats: 12 games, 3 INT, 8 PBU, 41.6 passer rating, 12 stops, 2 sacks, 6 pressure

Consensus Rank: 98

Commanders’ Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

The Legion of Boom corner the Commanders must have. A physically imposing press-man corner who wins at the catch point with length and aggression. He is also a dangerous blitzer. Jackson missed a lot of playing time in a college and there are reports of character concerns among NFL teams, possibly related to the undisclosed circumstances of his suspension from Alabama. If Whitt thinks he can keep Khyree on the straight and narrow, he could be a major steal near the end of Day 3.

Malik Washington, WR, Virginia

5-8.5, 191 lbs, 4.47 sec 40, RAS 8.63

2023 Receiving: 12 games, 80.4% rec, 1,384 yds, 9 TD, 3.15 Y/RR, 6.4 YAC/Rec, CTC 64.7%, 2.6% drops

2023 Kick Returns: 14 returns, 273 yds, 19.5 YPA, 0 muffs

Consensus Rank: 99

Commanders’ Meetings: East-West Shrine Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

A true gritty over achiever. Malik reminds me of Redskins’ great, Gary Clark in one key respect. They both played much bigger than their size. Malik is 0.5” shorter and 18 pounds heavier than Clark. He was the second most productive WR in the NCAA, after Malik Nabers, and did it the hard way, making contested catches in traffic and breaking tackles to pick up yards after the catch. His consensus rank is inexplicable. He will be a star in the NFL.

Early Day 3 Sleepers

Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU

6-0, 284 lbs, 4.85 sec 40, RAS 8.78

2023 Stats: 8 games, 14 tackles, 6 assists, 11 stops, 5 TFL, 5 sacks, 19 pressures

Consensus Rank: 116

Commanders’ Meetings: Combine, Team Pro Day

Wingo is the type of feisty, undersized defensive lineman that Quinn liked to move between the interior and the edge in Dallas. There is a little bit of Tasmanian devil to his play style. He is surprisingly nimble to peel off blocks and make stops and sacks in the backfield.

Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College

6-1.5, 185 lbs, 4.44 sec 40, RAS 8.96

2023 Stats: 9 games, 5 INT, 6 PBU, 18.1 passer rating, 9 stops, 0 sacks

Consensus Rank: 145

Commanders Meetings: Top 30 Visit, Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Jones could be the most underrated CB in the 2024 draft. He achieved excellent production in college by harassing receivers in press and using his length and ball skills to break up passes and pick them off. He is a perfect size/athletic profile match to Whitt’s CBs in Dallas. The Commanders have met with him four times, including a Top 30 visit. I have a good feeling about this one.

Jaheim Bell, TE/HB/FB, Florida State

6-2, 241 lbs, 4.61 sec 40, RAS 8.45

2023 Stats: 13 games, 75.0% rec, 503 yds, 2 TD, 1.97 Y/RR, 50% CTC, 8.1 YAC/Rec, 9.3% drops

Consensus Rank: 143

Commanders Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

You didn’t really think I’d get through this list without a fullback. Well, not quite. Florida State moved Bell all over the formation, including inline (207 snaps), slot (168 snaps), WR (37 snaps), fullback (3), halfback (16), and even 1 snap at QB.

Bell has largely flown under the radar, despite posting some unbelievable productivity stats. His career average of 2.31 Yards Per Route Run is the fourth highest of any TE to come out since 2020, behind only Brock Bowers, Isaiah Likely and Kyle Pitts. Even more impressively, Bell is in a class of his own in breaking tackles to create Yards After the Catch. Since 2015, Bell leads all Power 5 TEs in career YAC per Reception (9.24) and career missed tackles forced per reception (0.38). No other TE is even close.

In the hands of a creative offensive coordinator, he could be a chess piece to create coverage mismatches all over the field. I don’t know if Kinsgsbury is up to the task, but we need to find out.

Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State

6-2, 216 lbs, 4.58 sec 40, RAS 8.18

2023 Defense: 13 games, 63 tackles, 17 assists, 23 stops, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 9 pressures

2023 Coverage: 29 tgt, 16 rec (55.2%), 188 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 PBU, passer rating 57.8

Consensus Rank: 155

Commanders Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Another late round DB pick for Washington’s new Legion of Boom. Oladapo was used by the Beevs as a box- and split-safety, as well as being flexed out as a big nickel to cover tight ends. ESPN named him the best tight end matchup defender in the draft class. He was functional in deep coverage, but is at his best near the line, where he plays enforcer as a last line of defense in the run game.

Hunter Nourzad, C, Penn State

6-3, 317 lbs

2023 Stats: 13 games, 16 pressures, 0 sacks

PFF Blocking Grades: pass 61.9, run 77.0

Consensus Rank: 162

Commanders Meetings: East-West Shrine Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

If there is one thing that Commanders fans have learned over the past three seasons it is that you can never have enough depth at center. Nourzad has the size and skillset to stick anywhere on the interior offensive line. Unlike a lot of college centers coming out, he also has the play strength to carry an NFL workload.

Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State

5-10, 184, 4.54 40, RAS 5.79

2023 Stats: 7 games, 13 stops, 0 INT, 1 PBU, passer rating 84.0

Consensus Rank: 168

Commanders Meetings: Senior Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

One difference from Jack Del Rio’s defence we may see is that Whitt used a true slot CB in Dallas, as opposed to a nickel/safety. Smith-Wade is a little lighter than Jourdan Lewis, but otherwise very similar. He is sticky in man coverage and plays with exceptional competitiveness and ball skills.

Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame

Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

6-2, 234 lbs, 4.56 sec 40, RAS 5.64

2023 Stats: 12 games, 43 comb tackles, 22 stops, 6 TFL, 1 FF, 5 sacks, 25 pressures, 0 INT, 1 PBU

Consensus Rank: 171

Commanders’ Meetings: Combine, Team Pro Day

If the Commanders miss out on Edgerrin Cooper in the second round, Liufau is like a less refined and more violent version. If he can learn to read his keys a little better to play more instinctively, he could be a major steal in the fifth round. I don’t believe the consensus rank.

Late Round Hidden Gems

Tahj Washington, WR, USC

5-10, 174 lbs, 4.52 sec 40, RAS 5.13

2023 Stats: 13 games, 79.7% rec, 1,062 yds, 8 TD, 3.06 Y/RR, 8.6 YAC/Rec, CTC 66.7%, 1.7% drops

Consensus Rank: 180

Commanders Meetings: East-West Shrine Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Everyone’s tipping dump and run specialist Malachi Corley to be the next YAC monster, like Deebo Samuel. Tahj Washington weighs 41 pounds less than Corley and had identical YAC in 2023, playing against Pac-12 competition as opposed to Conference USA. Washington is a much better receiver, running actual routes (10.7 vs 5.5 ADOT), making contested catches (66.7% vs 23.5%) and hanging onto the ball (1.7% vs 7.1% drops).

On top of all that, ESPN rates him as the best perimeter run blocker in the WR draft class.

Washington is also a serviceable kick returner, averaging 20.0 Y/ret on 22 returns from his freshman through junior years.

Best of all, If consensus ranks are to be believed, Tahj could be available at one of Washington’s 5^th round picks. That seems like it should be illegal.

Cornelius Johnson, WR, Michigan

6-3, 212 lbs, 4.44 sec 40, RAS 9.46

2023 Stats: 15 games, 71.2% rec, 604 yds, 1 TD, 1.77 Y/RR, 2.6 YAC/Rec, 87.5% CTC, 2.6% drops

Consensus Rank: 190

Commanders Meetings: East-West Shrine Bowl, Combine, Team Pro Day

Another player who gives me major sleeper vibes. Johnson wasn’t utilized heavily at Michigan because Jim Harbaugh likes to run the ball. He could be a great option to add some size to the WR room if the Commanders miss out on Keon Coleman and Xavier Legette on Day 2. I just love the 87.5% (7/8) Contested Catch Rate. He was better at making contested catches than catching overall. He also likes to beat up on defensive backs in the running game. That reminds me of former Little Board All-Star George Pickens.

Dominique Hampton, S, Washington

6-2, 215 lbs, 4.51 40, RAS 9.20

2023 Stats: 15 games, 107 tackles, 10 stops, 2 INT, 7 PBU, passer rating 82.1

Consensus Rank: 217

Commanders’ Meetings: East West Shrine, Combine

Another Legion of Boom safety for Washington. Hampton is a developmental prospect with elite physical tools. Like most of the original LoB, he should be available late in the draft.

Lideatrick Griffin, WR/KR, Mississippi State

5-10, 181 lbs, 4.43 sec 40, RAS 6.95

2023 Receiving: 12 games, 66.7% rec, 659 yds, 4 TD, 2.25 Y/RR, 8.2 YAC/Rec, CTC 60.0%, 9.1% drops

2023 Kick Returns: 14 ret, 313 yds, long 39, 0 muffs

Consensus Rank: 270

Commanders Meetings: East-West Shrine Bowl, Team Pro Day

Lideatrick has intriguing explosiveness and elusiveness that make him a big play threat with the ball in his hands. But he still needs work to play to his potential at WR.

The Commanders should draft him because he is the best kick returner in college football. He had a down year in 2023, after averaging 34.4 Y/ret and taking two back for TDs in his first three seasons with the Bulldogs. He has never muffed a catch in 54 attempts.

After the change to the NFL kickoff rules, he could be good value in the seventh round. He should be a priority UDFA if he’s still available after the draft. If he is still available after the draft, Dan Quinn needs to get on the phone. Something tells me there will be a run on kick returners this year.

David White Jr, WR, Western Carolina (FCS)

6-2, 201 lbs, 4.58 sec 40, RAS 7.55

2023 Stats: 9 games, 65.1% rec, 444 yds, 5 TD, 1.76 Y/RR, 4.4 YAC/Rec, CTC 66.7%, 6.7% drops

Consensus Rank: 419

Commanders Meetings: Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl, Team Pro Day

My ultimate deep sleeper of the 2024 draft, White flew under the scouting radar until the Hula Bowl where he was unguardable by any DB he faced. That performance earned him an invite to the East West Shrine Bowl where he was the most impressive WR in attendance. He showed fluidity getting in and out of breaks, with athleticism to go over the top of defenders and pluck balls from the air.

White would be an intriguing surprise in the seventh round. He should be a priority UDFA if he goes undrafted. He will be a top competitor for the Mason-Brennan Award from the moment he signs with Washington.