Commanders' biggest need is clear; here are 5 players they could trade for

This time last year, the Washington Commanders were the talk of the town after beating the Cincinnati Bengals in primetime, among others, on their way to a 3-1 start to the season.

With a 7-2 record by the time the trade deadline was approaching in 2024, the Commanders made a move that many considered to be a sign they were ahead of schedule, trading for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

At 2-2 with one quarter of the year down, Washington is on the other end of that same conversation with many disappointed not just that it lost the two games it did, but how it fell short in each.

Now, instead of looking to capitalize on unexpected momentum, one month from this year's trade deadline, it is at least possible the Commanders will be looking to regain momentum, and could be looking for another player to help them do it.

Sports Illustrated recently outlined one player each NFL team should target for trade, and while it identified Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, we have a different idea.

The Real Position of Need

After the season-ending injury suffered by Deatrich Wise Jr. stole much of the defensive line's early momentum, second-year end Javontae Jean-Baptiste was looking to take advantage of his new opportunity and came up with a sack against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. In Week 4, however, Jean-Baptiste suffered a pec injury, and will now miss most if not all of the remaining games this year.

In the trade targets column, SI outlined cases for teams to trade for five different edge defenders, and we believe Washington should be in the market for each of them, if they're available.

Note: each draft proposal is shaped based on teams other than the Commanders trading for them, so some of the draft capital might not match what the team has available to trade.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91). | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Superstar: Trey Hendrickson

Proposed trade: Edge Trey Hendrickson to Colts for third-round pick

"Without Joe Burrow, the Bengals aren’t going anywhere," SI says when discussing a possible trade including Hendrickson. "Last week, Cincinnati was blasted 48–10 in Minnesota without its perennial MVP candidate at quarterback. With Hendrickson having only this year left on his deal, an acquiring team would be paying a proration of $16 million. Hendrickson, 30, had a league-high 17.5 sacks in 2024 and would be a major addition."

At one point this offseason Hendrickson had requested a trade from the Bengals only to accept a reworked one year deal that all but guarantees he hits the open market in 2026. That situation is perfect, because if $16 million and third round pick can get the Commanders' defense back on track, then he might be the medium risk high reward option for general manager Adam Peters to fully unlock Joe Whitt Jr. and Dan Quinn's defense.

Hendrickson has two sacks already this season and adding him would not only make his side of the defense better, but help unlock outside linebacker Frankie Luvu who has had to deal with teams scheming against him specifically more than they ever have before.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2). | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Value Plays: Bradley Chubb & Carl Granderson

Proposed trade: Conditional fifth-round pick to Dolphins for edge Bradley Chubb

This deal doesn't have quite as high a ceiling, but would be much cheaper for Peters while still adding to his group.

"The Dolphins have a surplus at the position. Chubb, 29, is in the midst of an impressive comeback season after overcoming multiple significant injuries. He might never regain his top form, but with three sacks this season, it’s clear that he remains a quality pass rusher," says SI.

Proposed trade: Third-round pick to Saints for edge Carl Granderson

"Granderson, 28, is an underrated edge rusher who gets opposing offensive coordinators to scheme against him," SI says, "[And] has 4.5 sacks and 16 solo tackles this season."

It might be easy to overlook the Saints' roster for potential trade targets given the state of the team right now, but there is value to be had here, and at 28 if things pan out he could become part of the long term plan as well.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Arden Key (49). | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Gambles: Jaelan Phillips & Arden Key

Trade proposal: Conditional fifth-round pick to Dolphins for edge Jaelan Phillips

"Phillips is still working his way back from significant injuries the past few seasons, but the Dolphins have trusted him enough to play 63% of the defensive snaps this season. At 26, there’s a strong possibility that Phillips can regain his top form in a month or two," says SI.

This one is a bit tougher to swallow, even though it is one of the cheapest, simply because of the injury history. Replacing two injured players with another, though Phillips is coming back from his, seems a bit short-sighted.

But, if Washington is confident in the medicals, then there's no doubt Phillips still has untapped potential.

Proposed trade: Edge Arden Key to 49ers for sixth-round pick

Another Titans player to consider for the Commanders, Key would be another potential one-year rental who could prove to be a viable part of the team's future plans.

"No team should be a seller this month more than the Titans, who are 0–4 and in a full-blown rebuild with first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi. To that point, moving a 29-year-old edge rusher with a $6.5 million base salary before hitting free agency this winter.

"Through four games, Key has played 49% of the snaps and has a sack with three quarterback hits."

There isn't a trade on this list we'd be upset with Commanders general manager Adam Peters for making. The question is just how high Peters and the franchise view the need on the edge, and whether or not they can get any of these teams to the table for reasonable deals like the ones listed.

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