Washington 2024 Draft Part 1: Adam Peters’ Draft History and Possible Draft Day Trades

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April 10, 2024

by David Earl

Draft Around the Corner

As the 2024 draft is rapidly approaching and mock draft fatigue has fully set in, what are some of the things we need to know? The draft history of Adam Peters is truly unknown since this will be his first go-around leading the draft war room making the final decisions. A left tackle is certainly a high priority for Washington, but that position is thin in terms of players who are considered to be day-one starters. So what could the possible directions be through this draft? Especially with the high possibility Washington selects their franchise quarterback in this draft, the left tackle position will be a critical decision for Adam. Speaking of the quarterback position, they could take multiple directions, including the outside chance of not even drafting one this season. However unlikely it is that Washington doesn’t draft a quarterback, could they even survive a decision like that?  Let’s talk about this and more heading into this draft.

Adam Peters’ Draft History

As I mentioned before this year will mark Peters’ first season as the final decision-maker on every selection. If he sticks with his stated philosophy these selections will be made with input not only from his scouts but the coaching staff led by Dan Quinn. What we can look at are the drafts where his role was prominent enough to affect many of the decisions one way or the other starting with the 2016 Denver Broncos where he was Director of College Scouting.

Denver Broncos (2016) as Director of College Scouting:

San Francisco 49ers (2017-2023) as VP Player Personnel and Assistant GM

The time with the San Francisco 49ers may very well be the best litmus test for Adam Peters heading into this draft. While his true strategy will be unveiled after the draft, all we can do is use this period to best assess what may happen.

The 2017 Draft

  • The Trade Back: Swapped with the Chicago Bears (pick 2 to pick 3) and received a 3rd round pick (67th overall selection), 4th-round pick (111th overall selection, and 2018 third-round pick. The third overall selection ended up becoming DE Solomon Thomas who now plays for the New York Jets.
  • The Trade-Up: Utilizing the 111th overall selection acquired from the BEars and their 34th overall selection, they moved up to select LB Reuben Foster.
  • Still in League: Of the 10 selections, 6 remain in the league, with the most notable picks being CB Ahkello Witherspoon (66th overall selection) and TE George Kittle (146th overall selection).

The 2018 Draft

  • Dante Pettis Trade: They gave up their second-round pick (59th overall selection) and a third-round pick (74th overall selection) for Washington’s second-round pick (44th overall selection) and fifth-round pick (142nd overall selection) for Pettis. After a career of 71 receptions and 984 yards with 12 touchdowns, the 2022 season was his final year.
  • Still in the League: Of the 9 selections 5 remain in the league, with Fred Warner (70th overall selection) being the most notable pick that remained on the team today.

The 2019 Draft

  • Trade Back: They moved the 49ers traded pick No. 104 to the Bengals for pick Nos. 110, 183, and 198. I point out this move as it yielded one selection in a punter Mitch Wishnowsky at pick 110, who is the only one still with the team.
  • Few Big-Name Hits: Five of the 8 selections are currently still in the league. Three names stick out: DE Nick Bosa (2nd overall selection), WR Deebo Samuel (36th overall selection), and LB Dre Greenlaw (148th overall selection) have each made significant impacts.

The 2020 Draft

  • Actively Trading: This offseason they were active in maneuvering draft assets which included acquiring LT Trent Williams while giving up pick 156 and two picks (95th overall and 137th overall selections) for WR Emmanuel Sanders. The most significant move was trading picks 31, 117, and 176 to the Minnesota Vikings for pick No. 25 ,where they selected WR Brandon Aiyuk.
  • Selections Yielded Solid Return: Besides Aiyuk, this draft produced solid results.  Right tackle Colton McKivitz (153rd overall selection) seems to have locked in the starting right tackle position. Their 14th overall selection, DT Javon Kinlaw, did not produce the value of his drafted position and now plays for the New York Jets.

The 2021 Draft

  • The Trade: Moved the 12th overall selection and two future 1st-round picks to select QB Trey Lance (3rd overall selection) who was later traded to Dallas for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Trey is still a wait-and-see product but, for the 49ers, a complete disaster of a move.
  • And The Rest: This draft produced a starting RG Aaron Banks (48th overall selection), a Pro Bowl cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (172nd overall selection), and a Pro Bowl safety Talanoa Hufanga.

The 2022 Draft

  • Draft Assets for Running Back: In October of 2022 they traded a 2023 second-round pick, a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Panthers for RB Christian McCaffrey. While it wasn’t on draft day it’s significant enough of a deal to mention.
  • Mr. Irrelevant: While this draft is still largely undefined, QB Brock Purdy has been the gem of the 2022 draft. Whether he is a product of great scouting or just sheer luck, this selection essentially saved the 49ers from the Trey Lance trade-up debacle.

The 2023 Draft: This draft started in round three with the selection of S Ji’Ayir Brown and, of the 9 selections made, their third-round kicker (99th selection overall) Jake Moody was their most productive player. While time will tell about this draft class, they have received some poor grades thus far. The only significant trade was the 49ers trading picks 102nd overall selection, 164th overall selection, and 222nd overall selection to the Vikings for the 87th overall selection to draft Brown out of Penn State.

Washington’s Potential 2024 Trade Activity

Let’s start with one fact from the previous trades listed above, we have no idea just how much influence or control Adam Peters had in these transactions. Yes, he was a part of these moves and I am confident a good part of that aggressiveness on draft day maneuvering will follow him this season running Washington’s draft room. The effectiveness of his moves will be impossible to project and, using the frame of reference above, not every move will always work out too. If not for Brock Purdy falling into their laps, there is even a good chance Peters would not even be here after that disastrous trade-up for Trey Lance, as that is a type of trade that gets people fired. We have to hope his previous experiences are learned experiences; the Trey Lance move wasn’t the only miss of a trade-up for a quarterback he has been a part of, as Paxton Lynch never materialized either. So what could be some draft day trade scenarios? This trade valuation chart was used for the following trade scenarios.

Couple Trade Back Options: Let me first preference by saying I don’t believe they should trade back nor do I even believe there is enough to assume they will. With the idea that Washington supposedly has a high interest in JJ McCarthy or maybe Adam Peters simply wants to build the roster first, the possibility exists this may happen.

  • Los Angeles Chargers get Aggressive: The Chargers would send their 5th overall selection, 37th overall selection, 69th overall selection of the 2024 draft, and a 2025 third-round pick for Washington’s 2nd overall selection and 2025 fourth-round pick. This would be a move to get Justin Herbert the top wide receiver in the draft while keeping Washington in range for Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or JJ McCarthy. Their rumored interest in McCarthy would drive this decision without hesitation in my opinion. The valuation points of these picks would be the Chargers giving up a total of 2,665 and Washington giving up 2,660. I used the mid-round value from the chart for the future picks to equate their point value.
  • Building The Roster: Minnesota Vikings would send their 11th selection overall, 23rd selection overall,  129th selection overall, plus a 2025 first and fourth-round picks for Washington’s 2nd overall selection, 40th overall selection, and 139th overall selection. Using the two future draft picks from the Vikings I again used what the mid-round value of those picks would be in this trade. So the valuation points would equate to the Vikings giving up a total of 3,145 and Washington 3,137. This gives Washington great flexibility to build the roster then insert a quarterback in the 2025 draft or move up from the 11th overall pick if one of their top quarterbacks begins to fall.

Trading Up: In my view, there is going to be a high possibility that Peters will attempt to move back into the first round. If he stands pat for a quarterback at the 2nd overall selection, he also needs to understand the importance of protecting his young franchise player. The offensive line has been improved somewhat in the interior but Cornelius Lucas and Andrew Wylie as the bookend tackles are just not going to cut it going forward. There is one option that stands out the most and Seattle, loving to move around the draft board, is the perfect partner.

  • Moving Up for Left Tackle: The ideal position to move up into is Seattle’s 16th overall selection which has a valuation of 1,000 points. Again, using future draft picks, I took the mid-round values for these future picks in these calculations. Washington would send their 36th overall selection, 67th overall selection, and 100th overall selection, plus a 2025 3rd-round pick for Seattle’s 16th overall selection and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The total valuation breaks down to Washington sending a total of 1,085 points and Seattle 1,062.

What To Potentially Expect

To reiterate, the involvement level Peters had in final evaluations and decisions is unknown, but this is also all we have going into this draft. Those wanting to see plenty of movement to maximize draft capital need to temper expectations. Out of the more significant trades listed above and the many other draft day moves not listed most did not necessarily yield great returns. The draft day move-up for WR Brandon Aiyuk in 2020 and the trade deadline trade moving draft capital for RB Christian McCafferty in 2022 generated franchise-altering changes that certainly aided in a Super Bowl run. Other than those 2 moves, there wasn’t much else to get excited about. When the decision is made to trade back from the 2nd overall selection and not select a quarterback it could potentially haunt Peters. There are no guarantees of a Brock Purdy selection rescuing him from another Trey Lance type of move in the draft.

With all that said, I still envision Peters being aggressive to get a left tackle and work the later picks for either more draft assets or to position for a guy on their board. If JJ McCarthy is truly a top 4 quarterback on their board, the idea of moving a few spots back should absolutely be part of their strategy. There could also be an outside chance the Chargers are willing to move LT Rashawn Slater and select the draft’s top offensive lineman, LT Joe Alt from Notre Dame. This would be the type of move I could see Peters making. In that scenario, Washington would get a starting left tackle while the Chargers clear more cap space, acquire more draft capital, and get the top left tackle in the draft. It’s a move I have mentioned before and, with this draft loaded at the wide receiver position, they could get Justin Herbert a very good offensive target later in the draft.

Regardless of what Peters’ plan is and what their big board looks like, no one has any idea on what their direction is heading into the draft. Washington is sitting in a very good spot to add top-end talent to this roster but could also overthink this whole process too. The intrigue of this draft is unlike the past two decades and the anxiety heading into this draft with no one the wiser is something very different from what this fan base is accustomed to. Buckle up everyone – I have a feeling this will be a very memorable draft and hopefully a positive memory.

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