Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
The Commanders have the third-fewest number of draft picks in this year’s class, and if they want to inject their roster with as much youth and speed as possible, it would behoove them to trade out of the top 10 to get back into the second round. That will be easier said than done.
That’s at least the way Peters sees it right now. Premium positions like quarterback and offensive tackle drive trades in the NFL. Fernando Mendoza will likely be the only quarterback taken in the top 10, and there’s uncertainty about where top-tier tackles like Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano will land. So, as Peters said, the Commanders are “more likely than not” to stay at No. 7 overall and take the best player available.
Still, the draft is unpredictable, especially this year, and Washington will at least listen to a trade offer if they get one. That’s what draft analyst Todd McShay has happening in his latest mock draft, and he has the Commanders moving down to the middle of the first round to take an intriguing wide receiver prospect: Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr.
“The bigger picture is this: The Commanders have a young star at quarterback in Jayden Daniels but not nearly enough playmaking talent around him,” McShay wrote. “New OC David Blough is looking for size and run-after-the-catch physicality on the outside, and Cooper checks those boxes.”
