NFL Draft: Commanders Must Replace Chase Young, Montez Sweat
All the talk since the Washington Commanders were locked into the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft has been about which quarterback is the organization taking. Will it be Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels?
While that naturally dominates the headlines, the quarterback isn't the only glaring hole in the Washington roster.
Also, the Commanders don't just have one pick, they have several. While getting a new quarterback remains a high priority, so does fortifying other spots on the roster.
NFL.com writes that for head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters, getting some edge help defensively should be their next move after taking a quarterback.
"The Commanders traded away their top two edge rushers -- Montez Sweat and Chase Young -- during the season," NFL.com writes. "That left them with Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams as their top veteran options. Both are free agents this offseason. Imagine you're Dan Quinn. You just went from deploying Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence in Dallas to Casper the Friendly Ghost in D.C. With Washington expected to select a QB at No. 2 overall, using free agency and their Day 2 draft picks to find edge help is a must."
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
With Sweat dominating after being sent to the Chicago Bears as he racked up six sacks in just nine games (led the Bears), 14 quarterback hits (third most), and four tackles for loss, he was a big miss.
Chase Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and is now representing them in the Super Bowl, so the Commanders chose to move on from both.
Now, they have to get their replacements.
With picks 35, 40, 66, 100, 103, 135, 180, and 219, the Commanders have a chance at getting some value in the later rounds. UCLA's Laiatu Latu, Alabama's Chris Braswell, Penn State's Adisa Isaac, Kansas' Austin Booker, Ole Miss' Cedric Johnson, and Michigan's Jaylen Harrell are considered the top edge defenders in the draft.
While some won't be available by the time the Commanders' second-round picks (35 & 40) come around, some might be.
All the attention has been on which quarterback the Commanders select, but fortifying their edge rushers is the next job for Peters and Quinn.
