NFL Draft: 4 Best Options For Commanders At No. 11
The wait is almost over!
Months of speculation as to who the Washington Commanders will draft will come to an end Thursday night when the team makes the 11th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Commanders have been connected to a number of prospects at No. 11 on both sides of the ball, more specifically at wide receiver and defensive back.
Which need will general manager Martin Mayhew fill first?
Here's a look at the four likeliest options for the No. 11 overall pick:
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WR Drake London
Standing 6-4, London provides one of the largest frames of any wide receiver in the draft class. Often perceived as the best wideout in the class, London would immediately start opposite Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders want to give McLaurin a running mate to take some attention off of him and weaponize Carson Wentz as much as possible in an unfamiliar offense for him.
The teams most likely to steal London from the Commanders would be the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons. The Jets have two opportunities to draft London, first at No. 4 and then right before the Commanders at No. 10. New York wants to give Zach Wilson a weapon to work with. Meanwhile, Atlanta needs a wide receiver just as much as any team in the league. If London is at the top of their board, they could snag him with the 8th overall pick.
WR Garrett Wilson
Ron Rivera spoke very highly of the Ohio State wide receivers in a press conference this week, and with two on the board, there's a very good chance a Buckeye becomes a Commander Thursday night.
Wilson is perceived to be better than his teammate Chris Olave, who shouldn't be on the board much longer after him.
Wilson was almost a lock for the top 10, but rumors of poor performances in interviews could push him right into Washington's lap at No. 11.
As mentioned above, the Jets and Falcons are the teams likeliest to take Wilson, but if he finds a way to slide, he'll definitely be part of the conversation.
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WR Chris Olave
The Commanders really like Olave's potential, and the 11th pick is probably the highest the Ohio State product could be drafted. But that shouldn't be a reason to not take him.
Olave is a former teammate of Terry McLaurin's, so the built-in chemistry is a big reason why the Commanders could draft him.
He's more of a natural complement to McLaurin than Wilson is, but that also shouldn't be a reason to take one over the other.
The Commanders will strongly consider Olave if both London and Wilson are off the board. He could also be a candidate if the team wants to trade back with a team like the New Orleans Saints (Nos. 16, 19) or Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 20).
S Kyle Hamilton
Once considered a lock for the top 5, Hamilton's fall could extremely benefit the Commanders.
Although he doesn't fill the biggest need on the team, he's an automatic plug-and-play for the vacancy Landon Collins created after his release.
Hamilton plays that safety-linebacker hybrid that Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio love and he's about as good as you can get in a weak safety class.
The Commanders have drafted at least one defensive player in the first round since 2017, so the streak would stay live by picking Hamilton.
