Possible Draft Scenario and Targets for Washington

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April 3, 2025

by David Earl

Washington Draft Weekend Projection

Washington enters this draft with draft selections in rounds 1 (29 overall), 2 (61 overall), 4 (128 overall), 6 (205 overall), and 7 (245 overall) with many holes to fill on this roster. This projection is a possible scenario in which the team will move out of the first round, netting a 3rd and 5th round pick they never had plus an additional 4th round pick. The two trade partners in this are the New England Patriots and the New York Jets as all draft day scenarios use the Drafttek pick valuation chart. In this process, I kept the trade values relatively close but there is usually a total offset value greater in number to entice the other organization. Here are the trade details:

  • Washington trades with New England: Washington moves round 1 (29) and round 7 (245) at a total draft pick value of 641 to New England for round 2 (38), round 4 (82), round 5 (144), round 7 (217). The total draft pick value results in Washington’s value received of 640 and losing a total of 641.
  • Washington trades with New York Jets: Washington moves round 2 (61) to New York Jets for round 3 (73) and round 4 (110). The total draft pick value results in Washington’s value received of 299 and losing a total of 292.

While there could very possibly be more movement in this draft, I wanted to focus on a scenario that will help maximize this draft. These trades not only increase their total draft pick asset from 5 picks to 8 picks, but they now own selections throughout the most important part of this draft in rounds 3-5. So now let’s dive into some possible selections with the draft capital gained through these trades. The following projected selections were taken from consensus mock drafts, which gave me a rough idea of where the majority of draft evaluators believe these prospects will fall in the draft.

Round 2, 38th Overall Selection (from New England Patriots)

This pick is a pivotal selection, especially since, in my hypothetical trade scenario, Washington dropped out of the first round to this position. There are some mocks showing edge rusher Nic Scourton as available around this selection, thus making him the obvious pick. I personally believe he will be a first round selection. There are some interesting cornerbacks available here too, but to me, the choice is easily Ohio State’s running back TreVeyon Henderson. With an improved offensive line and the addition of wide receiver Deebo Samuel, the addition of Henderson make Washington’s offense more dynamic and explosive. The one name here is edge rusher Princely Umanmielen. His athleticism and agility off the edge will be enticing for Dan Quinn’s defense. Henderson is my personal choice there are other directions I could see happen as well.

  • RB TreVeyon Henderson, OSU: Great vision and lateral movement with excellent contact balance in traffic. Very natural pass protector and reliable hands in the passing game. Excellent in space especially as his lateral quickness makes him a very elusive runner.  Will generate too many negative plays at times and has some durability concerns missing time in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
  • OT Donovan Jackson, OSU: Core and anchor strength produces excellent leverage. Additionally, his arm’s length provides a very strong base for this position. He diagnoses and neutralizes complex defensive line stunts and twists. Has great coordination between his upper and lower body and his initial contact is quick and strong during initial engagement. Has somewhat of a stiff movement and struggles moving off his blocks to get into the second level of the defense.
  • Edge Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss: Excellent initial burst and great counter move off the edge. Works great in space and his redirection lateral movement is very fluid in motion. Quick processor who recognizes blocking schemes rapidly, and rarely gets caught out of position against misdirection. Will tend to keep his pad level too high neutralizing his agility off the edge thus losing leverage against the blocks. Needs refinement with hand placement and can get predictable at times in his pass rush.

Round 3, 73rd Overall Selection (from New York Jets)

The one name not on this list is linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr out of South Carolina. The mocks show him available here in many instances and if he falls here this selection could make an interesting option for Washington. Aside from having a bit of stiff lateral agility and the fact that he is not a great zone coverage linebacker, he is excellent against the run while having natural instincts as a blitzer, showing outstanding timing and acceleration. I personally do not see him getting out of the second round. Josaiah Stewart could get a heavy look here if Washington lands Treveyon Henderson in the second round. If they are still looking for a running back at this stage of the draft Cam Skattebo is the most intriguing name available.

  • WR Isaiah Bond, Texas: Excellent top-end speed and very elusive in space. Great natural hand catcher and fantastic deep ball tracking. Can work in the slot or outside and is willing to absorb contact to secure catches in traffic. Adds an excellent special teams dynamic displaying game-breaking speed on returns. Is a bit undersized and will struggle at times off the line in press-man coverage. Can be too impatient setting up his routes and displays a bit of a limited catch radius.
  • RB Cam Skattebo, ASU: Runs with tremendous power and contact balance through excellent lower body power and control. A patient runner who sets up blocks very well with outstanding vision seeing running lanes developing. Very good natural-handed receiver and adjusts well to the ball in the air. He lacks any true top-end speed and is very inconsistent in pass protection. Is a major concern in ball security leading to 10 fumbles in the last three seasons.
  • Edge Josaiah Stewart, Michigan: Excellent straight-line speed and shows great natural instincts as a blitzer. Is exceptionally quick off his first step, will hold his own in zone coverage assignments, and sheds blocks very well. Will need to work on his lateral movement and will occasionally be delayed in reaction time against the run.

Day 3 Selections

In my trade scenario, Washington would hold three total selections in round 4, 106th, 110th, and 128th overall. This round will be vital in adding developmental depth and hopefully at least one impact player in year one. Some names to keep an eye on are the following:

  • S Lathan Ransom OSU: A true in-the-box safety who is very physical against the run and shows impressive timing and disguise ability as a blitzer. Plays like a linebacker with his hands and is very good in coverage versus linebackers. He will also contribute immediately on special teams in physical play and his speed makes him tough to block. Does not transition great downfield in coverage and will struggle in consistently anticipating wide receiver routes. He will also carry some durability concerns with a broken leg (2021) and a Lisfranc injury (2023).
  • CB Denzel Burke OSU: Very physical at the line of scrimmage and excellent play strength to disrupt timing at the line of scrimmage. Is much more instinctive in zone coverage than man-to-man and is a very physical player against the run. Adds an excellent special teams dynamic on coverage with his combination of size and speed. He is limited in his lateral agility and will get too handsy in coverage downfield.
  • G Dylan Fairchild Gorgia: Wins often within initial contact and does an excellent job gain leverage. Works exceptionally well in space especially when climbing into the second level. Has very good core strength and maintains balance well through his blocks. Is limited in expreiencing complex pass rush packages and will struggle against more athletic defenders. Will also need to work on cosistency in his footwaork.
  • RB R.J. Harvey Jr. University of Central Florida: Great vision and explosion as both a runner and receiver. Great patience in setting up his blocks and finding cutback lanes. Maintains excellent contact balance and has an elite level of lateral quickness. Good ball security and is one of the best home run threats in this class. Does not have ideal power through would-be tacklers and is a liability in pass protection.

Round 5 options will certainly go with the flow of their draft at this point with a focus on the best play available being possibly more of an approach. Names like RB Devin Neal (Kansas), RB Trevor Etienne (Georgia), Safety Jaylen Reed (PSU), LB Jack Kiser (Notre Dame), and OT Ajani Cornelius could all be in play here. Of these names, Etienne holds the most intrigue in his good vision as a runner and can quickly change direction while maintaining his top-end speed. At 22 years old Etienne holds the most upside and bang for your buck in the 5th round. In rounds 6 and 7, developmental players and potential special team contributors will be the focus. Keep an eye out for Miami kicker Andres Borregales as he is clearly the best kicker in this draft and has a private workout with Washington prior to the draft. If they like him enough he could factor in the 5th round but most likely in the 6th round.