3 'ballhawks' the Commanders could target in the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft represents another opportunity for the Washington Commanders to improve their 2025 roster after doing so in big ways this offseason already.

General manager Adam Peters has maintained that the way for the Commanders to build their roster is through the draft while supplementing it with trades and free agents. So, that means the hunt for more building blocks should be on when the selection process commences in late April.

Site 33rd Team recently compiled a list of its top 10 ballhawks–defensive backs with impressive abilities to take the ball away from opposing offenses–and from that list, we've selected our top three for Washington to consider in this year's draft.

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

SAFETY XAVIER WATTS, NOTRE DAME

The top player on the 33rd Team's list is the Fighting Irish safety, who is currently most often mock-drafted in the second round, right about pick No. 49, according to NFL Mock Draft Database.

While that pick falls ahead of the Commanders' current second round pick and 20 selection after their first, Watts is a player who could be coveted higher than the mocks might indicate because of his production.

In his last two collegiate seasons, Watts picked off opposing passers a combined 13 times, returning one of them all the way back for a touchdown.

Current starter Quan Martin had one interception in 2024 and has three total in two NFL seasons.

Where Martin sets himself apart from a prospect like Watts is in run support. While Martin is a steady last line of defense as a tackler, the soon-to-be rookie is questionable at best in that arena. If Washington doesn't care about that–or believes it can fix Watts' tackling issues–then they may see him as a worthy prospect and eventual challenger for a starting job in the defensive backfield.

Of course, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has often expressed that his defense isn't 11 starters and nobody else, so Watts' ball skills will give a reason to be on the field early in specific situations.

UTSA defensive back Zah Frazier. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

CORNERBACK ZAH FRAZIER, UTSA

"If the NFL didn't hate old prospects, we'd be seeing Zah Frazier's name in the first round of 2025 NFL mock drafts. However, age matters, and Frazier turns 25 this summer. Still, it's impossible to deny how impressive Frazier's 2024 season was," 33rd Team says of Frazier, and they aren't wrong. However, the same age knocks on quarterback Jayden Daniels didn't stop the Commanders from drafting him.

Another factor that doesn't take Frazier off the board for Washington is his current Day 3 projection, most commonly mocked in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

Starting as a JUCO All-American, the cornerback caught on with the UTSA Roadrunners in 2022 and appeared in 29 games over the last three seasons. He didn't really get his chance to shine on the field until this past season, and he turned in six interceptions once he did.

Mississippi Rebels defensive back Trey Amos. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

CORNERBACK TREY AMOS, OLE MISS

Amos is currently projected to come off the board early in the second round, but his stock has been consistently rising since the NFL Scouting Combine, thanks in part to his 4.43 40-yard dash time.

Besides his ball production, four interceptions in his career and three in 2024 alone, there are many reasons to like Amos as an NFL prospect.

For starters, he has experience after playing for five seasons at three schools starting with Louisiana, then to Alabama, and finally Ole Miss.

He also fits the profile of an aggressive Commanders cornerback who likes to fight receivers at the line of scrimmage in press and doesn't lose deep balls without a fight.

He isn't without flaws, of course, but Amos has quickly become one of our favorite defensive back prospects in this years draft when considering players who might be available for Washington to draft.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

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