Commanders Draft: 3 Players Washington Should Avoid Selecting At No. 11

There are some names being connected with the Commanders that shouldn't be getting consideration inside the Top 12

We've heard plenty about the top names the Washington Commanders should consider taking with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner (No. 1), isn't expected to be available when Washington makes their first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but would be a steal if he were to be.

Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson (No. 5) is another popular name associated with the 11th pick.

If Washington looks to defense, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is a likely option at No. 11.

Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner is so talented that he simply can't be passed up if he makes it far enough for Washington to select him.

Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson could be the next great Buckeyes playmaker on the squad, pairing up with former college teammate Terry McLaurin to form a dynamic duo for new quarterback Carson Wentz.

Kyle Hamilton, the safety out of Notre Dame is a Top 5 player in pure evaluation to many, but his position and the needs of teams in the Top 10 have led to his falling to Washington in many mock drafts.

But who should the Commanders let slide past No. 11 if available? 

DEREK STINGLEY JR., CORNERBACK, LSU

When Stingley was a freshman with the Tigers he looked like a young defender who would grow into a Top 10 NFL Draft talent. 

Just about everyone was sure of it, until injuries and inconsistent play began a problem. 

The athletically talented cornerback played in just seven games in 2020, and only three in 2021, after busting onto the scene in his 15 games as a freshman in 2019. 

Outside of 2019, there are some concerns about consistency from just about every top-shelf evaluator in the public eye. And while injury ratings only really exist in Madden video games, if Stingley had one, it wouldn't be very high. 

His Pro Day only boosted his public stock and made everyone forgive and forget a lot of the inconsistencies, but it appears people want to see the potential through the film, instead of seeing the tape for what it shows. 

An athletically talented, but raw and unpolished defender who needs much more coaching and consistent reps to reach his ceiling, and the injury history to make it believable he may never be on the field long enough to get there. 

DRAKE LONDON, WIDE RECEIVER, USC

It's easy to see what people like about London as an NFL prospect. He's tall, long, and physical as a receiver. 

But there's also a lot left to be desired in this prospect looking through the lens of the Washington Commanders. 

You've heard of receivers who are quicker than fast, well, London isn't quick or fast. This means throws are going to have to be within his impressive wingspan, because if they aren't, he's not catching up to it, and there's likely to be a defender in the area with him. 

Any team with a quarterback that has accuracy issues even slightly above what the average quarterback experiences should be wary of adding a receiver like that to be the main contributor. 

To help London, and his quarterback, an offense will need to feature a consistent downfield threat to force defenses to play loose on the slower receiver in fear of giving up crossing over routes, or similar types of plays. 

I love McLaurin as much as the next guy, but no defensive coordinators are going to consistently drop into two-deep coverages because of his abilities alone, and when Curtis Samuel plays meaningful reps as a Washington wide receiver, he'll do as much in the short area as he will in the deep game. 

This leads to problem number three. Blocking. 

London simply isn't a great blocker in the run game, and certainly hasn't proven to be any better when asked to engage at the line or upfield to help free screen passes or quick routes for his teammates. 

Requires a very accurate quarterback due to lack of separation and almost no deep threat to speak of outside of blown coverages, needs to have teammates defenses have to account for to create space for him underneath, and not a solid blocker in a day and age wide receivers need to be able to contribute on every down no matter their role. 

There are teams that can facilitate adding talent like London's. Washington is not one of them. 

DEVIN LLOYD, LINEBACKER, UTAH

The Commanders need help at linebacker. In fact, it's my single biggest need for the team entering the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Of course, this doesn't mean the team's first pick of the draft should be spent on that position group. 

Washington reached for Kentucky's Jamin Davis in the first round of last year's draft, and it's put them in a sticky public relations situation. 

Had the Commanders gone in almost any other direction in 2021, they could make Lloyd the 11th selection without too much grumbling from media and fans. 

Of course had the team selected, say, Virginia Tech offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw and waited until the second round to take Notre Dame's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, we may not be discussing the 11th overall pick to begin with. 

But that's a discussion for a future redraft column. 

Outside of Hamilton or Wilson at No. 11, if Washington could negotiate a trade down far enough to get a solid return, but not too far to find Lloyd off the board, he'd be a good addition to the defense. 

The added draft capital in a trade would help soften the PR blow of taking linebackers in back-to-back first rounds. 

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is the latest workout warrior who wowed media and fans with an impressive Pro Day. Causing almost all of them to dismiss inconsistent play and loads of missed games due to injuries. 

While talented, USC wide receiver Drake London isn't capable of lifting an offense on his own, and the writer has concerns Washington's offense has what it needs to fully leverage his abilities.

Utah's Devin Lloyd may be a linebacker worthy of a Top 15 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But could Washington withstand the public relations fallout that would follow?

Evaluations are about what a player can bring to a team, and for the Washington Commanders, there's a need for known abilities to come in and become force multipliers for the talent already on the roster. 

These three players, while talented in their own right, don't quite fit the Commanders' current organizational needs for one reason or another, and should be avoided when considering who to select with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.