Commanders 7-Round Mock Draft: Cornerback or Receiver At The Top?

Defensive help early, and a weapon for Carson Wentz in a full CBS Sports projection

The beauty of evaluating players that may or may not be a good fit for the Washington Commanders entering the 2022 NFL Draft is that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. 

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson is the primary target for many, while Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is a can't hit defensive back to add to the roster -- and a surefire bust to others. 

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Many are sold that Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson should be the primary target for the Washington Commanders in round one of the 2022 NFL Draft.

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Kyle Hamilton is the defensive player most commonly mocked to Washington with the 11th overall pick.

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Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew will be a part of the brain trust aiming to find an immediate impact player in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Regardless, general manager Martin Mayhew, head coach Ron Rivera, and the rest of the Commanders' war room will ultimately make the final call. 

Just 10 days from now, we'll find out who the pick is. Until then, let's continue with the mock drafting. This time with an effort from Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports.

And with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ryan Wilson has the Washington Commanders selecting Derek Stingley Jr., the cornerback from LSU.

"Stingley didn't work out at the combine but lit it up at his pro day," Wilson writes about the selection. "It's hard to forget just how dominant he was in '19 as a freshman, where he spent practices going up against Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall and Racey McMath. If he was eligible two years ago he would've been a top-5 pick. He remains a ball hawk, not to mention an asset in the return game, and he'll only last this long because hasn't played a lot of football in the last 12 months."

While many will be happy to see the secondary getting some assistance, others will view it as a missed opportunity to land a bigger impact player in Hamilton who comes off the board one pick later, to the Minnesota Vikings. 

Others may also want the Commanders to take Alabama's Jameson Williams at No. 11 in this scenario, while Wilson has wide receiver getting addressed in the second round, selecting Georgia wide receiver George Pickens. 

With just the two picks in the first three rounds, we wait until Day 3 for more draft picks by Washington. 

Linebacker Darrian Beavers (Cincinnati), quarterback Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky), safety Quentin Lake (UCLA), and running back Max Borghi (Washington State) are added to the team in rounds four, six, and two in round seven, respectively.

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Derek Stingley Jr., the cornerback out of LSU is the Washington Commanders' first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, according to this latest mock. 

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Georgia receiver George Pickens is the second player taken by the Washington Commanders in this mock draft by CBS Sports.

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Taking a quarterback late in this year's NFL Draft - like Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe - makes sense on many levels, but so does taking more skill players in favor of helping this year's roster reach its peak.

Personally, I'd rather see the Commanders take a flier on a potential contributor like South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong over Zappe in the 6th Round, followed by guard Lecitus Smith in place of Borghi. 

Then again, that's just my perception of what these players may provide for the Washington Commanders.