Commanders Make NFC East Trade In New Mock Draft

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters has shown in the year he has been running the roster construction of the team that he’s willing to make a deal with some of the organization’s top rivals. The Commanders made a day 2 draft day trade with the Philadelphia Eagles last year that gave them added second-round picks for the Eagles to acquire Cooper DeJean. DeJean may have become a Super Bowl hero for Philadelphia, though, and the Commanders came away with another couple of quality starters on their end as well. Riggo’s Rag believes another in-division trade could happen in their latest mock draft. This time, with the New York Giants. “Adam Peters would probably like to trade down from No. 29 overall. The Washington Commanders aren’t blessed with much in the way

of draft resources right now,” Dean Jones said.”Navigating a shift down the pecking order could be the best possible route to strengthening the roster. “Peters also proved during last season’s draft that he has no trouble striking deals with division rivals if he feels like it’s the right thing to do. The Commanders do the same again in this scenario, letting the New York Giants move up for quarterback Tyler Shough.” The Commanders only have five draft picks in the 2025 selection process. They need more if they want to also close the gap in the NFC East at this point. A trade with the Giants – even if it means giving their rival the potential of a franchise quarterback – could be the perfect fit for the team and their needs.

The Commanders are interested in adding a wide receiver during next week’s draft, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, though their lack of a third-round pick could complicate their strategy.

Washington traded for Deebo Samuel to pair him with Terry McLaurin as one of the league’s most exciting starting WR duos, but both are in the last year of their contracts. In fact, the team currently only has one receiver – 2024 third-rounder Luke McCaffrey – under contract past the 2025 season with a number of veterans on one-year deals. That makes wideout a clear priority for the Commanders, who only have two picks across the first two days of the draft after trading for Marshon Lattimore at the 2024 trade deadline.

One of the team’s coveted targets is Tai Felton, according to Pauline. Felton is a local product who was born and raised in Ashburn, Virginia and played college football just outside of Washington, D.C. at the University of Maryland. The 22-year-old played sparingly across his first two seasons as a Terp before emerging as a starter in 2023 and a star in 2024. Last season, he recorded a school-record 96 receptions for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns and led the Big 10 in catches and yards per game. That production, as well as strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, have positioned Felton to be drafted late on Day 2 of the draft.

The Commanders have shown interest in Felton throughout the pre-draft process, attending his pro day in College Park and hosting him at the team’s local pro day where they worked him out as a returner. His draft projection poses a strategic dilemma for general , who have a large gap between their second and third selections (Nos. 61 and 128). There may be better players available at the end of the second round, but Felton may not last to the Commanders’ next pick at the end of the fourth.