Commanders Combo: Which Pair of Prospects Would Win Draft For Washington?

One player on each side of the line of scrimmage to provide an immediate jump in talent for the Commanders

This is a big season for the Washington Commanders for a lot of reasons. 

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After back-to-back seven-win seasons for Ron Rivera as the head coach of the Washington Commanders, 2022 is a critical year for the future of himself, and his roster.

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Despite helping his team win seven games in his first year as a starting NFL quarterback, Taylor Heinicke will once again start the season as the team's backup to another newly arrived veteran.

After missing on trade efforts to bring Russell Wilson to Washington, the team brought in Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts, and hope he'll be the answer they need at quarterback.

And the draft picks added at the end of this month will help determine whether 2022 is successful, or another flop like last year's effort.

Getting the right combination of immediate talent and potential for the future is the key with draft picks, and at least one NFL analyst thinks he has the answer for what Washington needs. 

Chad Reuter of NFL.com put out his list of ideal combinations for all 32 teams in the 2022 NFL Draft.

For Washington, he went with one player for the offense and one for the defense, identifying Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Georgia safety Lewis Cine as the ideal pairing to join the team. 

"The trade for Carson Wentz requires Washington to find additional targets on whom they can rely," Reuter wrote. "Wilson could be brought in to pair with two other former Buckeyes, Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. Cine's hard-hitting style and coverage ability make him a nice fit for the Commanders at free safety or nickel, depending upon where the team wants to play emerging star Kamren Curl."

Reuter's thoughts here make sense, and adding both would be quite the achievement for Washington in an offseason that has failed to impress most around the team. 

Running these picks through the popular Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator, selecting Wilson gets a letter grade of B+ while getting Cine with the 47th overall pick would score an A. 

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Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson is the first-round pick in the NFL Draft for the Washington Commanders in Chad Reuter's ideal combination projection.

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Georgia safety Lewis Cine would be a steal in the second round for the Washington Commanders.

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Looking at the lack of safety talent likely to be available at pick No. 47 for the Commanders, would bypassing Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton be wise? 

The only problem with this scenario is the idea of Cine falling to pick No. 47 to begin with, especially considering the Georgia safety has been getting some late first-round buzz. 

In a passing league, with plenty of teams looking to secure the back end of their defense, Cine would be the surprise - and steal - of Day 2 at the NFL Draft if he were to be there for the Washington Commanders.