BGO Blind Pig: Defensive Draft Possibilities

[Boone]

The guys look at what the Commanders need or may seek to address on the defensive side of the ball, talk Terry McLaurin, and pronounce everyone's name correctly.




Safeties
Kyle Hamilton S Notre Dame
6’ 4” 220 lbs



Lewis Cine S Georgia
6’ 2” 200 lbs



Daxton Hill S/CB Michigan
6’ 192 lbs



Jaquan Brisker S Penn State
6’ 1” 200 lbs



Jalen Pitre S Baylor
5’ 11” 197 lbs



Nick Cross S Maryland
6’ 212 lbs



Verone McKinley III
5’ 10” 196 lbs



***


LINEBACKER

It's a tune we've been singing for a while, but ... we need upgrades. Earworm.

Current LB's on the WASH roster:

Made the case in the podcast that this year's LB draft class doesn't have anybody I believe worthy of a #11 overall pick. The two guys general consensus has as first-round values are both guys I'd love to see on the roster, but not at 11. Maybe in the 20's somewhere if WASH ends up trading back--something I'm generally not in favor of. Those two guys are:

DEVIN LLOYD, UTAH
6'3", 237 lbs.

Nothing NOT to like here. Just not sure he's a high first-rounder for a team that used it's No. 1 pick on LB just a year ago ...




NAKOBE DEAN, GEORGIA
5'11", 230

I may be hopelessly old-school, but I don't see a 5'11" quick-twitch guy as a good bet to be an every-down, run-and-pass defending stud for the next 5-10 years. At Georgia, he had the luxury of operating in a great defense behind a stalwart DL. Not too many athletic, 320 lb. guards seeking him out at the second level to have to fight through. But ... he's definitely a playmaker. If he should miraculously be available at pick 47 ... just sayin'.




There are a few candidates grading out as 2nd-rounders. There is one in particular that I would be damn happy to see in the mix for WASH at pick 47:

CHAD MUMA, WYOMING
6'3, 240 lbs.




This gent understandably gets attention ... as with Dean above, to me he's a little undersized for the job of long-term stud fixture at the NFL level, but there is no denying he can play:

CHRISTIAN HARRIS, ALABAMA
6'1", 226 LBS.




We don't have a 3rd, but, if this guy was to somehow slip to the fourth round ...

QUAY WALKER, GEORGIA
6'4", 240 lbs.




And finally, most rankings I've seen initially had this "sleeper" as a 3rd or 4th rounder, but he's been sneaking up draft boards. Kiper and McShay think he could easily be a 2nd, and might even sneak in the late 1st if some team falls in love with his potential. As I have.

TROY ANDERSEN, MONTANA STATE
6'4", 243 lbs.

Every year some team drafts guy that they get blown up for as "a reach." If we were to happen to be that team, with any pick other than the 11th overall ... well, first read his bio, and then you decide:

 

[Win4us]

I like the way that kid from Georgia hits, dude brings it. Pitre seems he’s always around the ball, and quick. Still want Hamilton at 11 though

 

[Om]

OP updated with LB stuff ...

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Excellent job as always guys. Two comments I was arguing with you all in my head as I worked out.

1. On if guys in the d line should be traded. I say no, but with the caveat that where Payne is in his career, that’s the reason you think of trading him. If he’s not in the long term plans, why hold him if you can get value in return. I do agree that Sweat has been better than Young to this point, but I think it’s too early to give up on either guy. Maybe if they think Sweat isn’t a team guy, but my opinion is that it’s not the right time to trade either guy. They do both need to come out of the gates firing this year though. The beginning of last year was not a good look.

2. On drafting an impact guy or trading down. I think the best strategy there is to have your guys that you absolutely would not pass on. If they are there, you take one of them. If they are all gone and you’d be picking between guys you just like, then trade out. Someone basically said the same thing. I apologize for not remembering who, but the time to trade is when your impact guys aren’t there. I saw a mock recently that had Olave being drafted late by the Packers. I doubt that happens and it was probably done by a Packers fan, but I think that’s an example of a situation where if your big impact guys are gone and you know you can get talent a few picks later, you can trade out and pick up more picks. It’s always a risk to pass up talent but it’s also a risk to pull the trigger on a guy. Chase Young was considered the safest pick in the draft 2 years ago and there is legitimate debate on if that was the right pick. There will always be risk and the Redskins/Football Team sucked at that. Maybe the commanders can be a little better.

 

[Boone]

I think we probably would universally agree with both of those excellent points Kel!