Washington Draft 2023 - did the Commanders improve?

Are the Washington Commanders better after the 2023 Draft?

Pre-draft there was much conjecture about who the Commanders should, could and will take.

The team addressed several critical areas of need and at the same time got faster and more athletic. Although, let's be honest, we won't truly know how successful (or otherwise) it's been for a few years yet.

Here at UKHTTC we pondered three questions:

• Favourite pick of the draft

• Least favourite of the draft haul

• What was surprising about the Washington draft in 2023

We welcome back regular contributor, Simon Thurston, who is joined by UKHTTC founder, Christian Burt.

First up, Christian.

Favourite pick of the draft

If measuring by excitement, I cannot look past the first round and decision to take the slender framed but dynamic CB, Emmanuel Forbes.

This was a gutsy pick by the front office in Washington, as they have ignored the size concerns around Forbes and boosted the roster with a guy who was an absolute playmaker college football.

They did not have a ball hawk in the backfield and now they do.

If there is to be success for the burgundy & gold in 2023, it will be the DEF that leads the way. To align the Washington DL of Jon Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat and Chase Young with a potentially explosive backfield is a smart move.

Washington declined the bigger sized Christian Gonzalez at 16 and instead have rolled the dice on a smaller but more dynamic CB. It has to be noted that Bill Belichick and the Patriots took Gonzalez with the very next pick; expect, therefore. some career comparison between the two!

Least favourite of the draft haul

Least favourite sounds harsh, especially as none of these guys have taken a snap yet in the NFL.

However, in my mind, any RB selection should have been for a third-down type back given the absence of JD McKissic. Instead, the Commanders chose Christian Rodriguez Jr from Kentucky, who, by all accounts is more of a downhill physical style RB.

In College, the receiving receptions for Rodriguez Jr were minimal and this pick was a bit of a head-scratcher when thinking of both value and need.

Overall, what surprised you with the haul?

Rather jokingly in our UKHTTC chat group, I posted it would be amusing if the Commanders double-dipped in round two to take a second DB. And that is exactly how it played out with the pick of Jartavius "Quan" Martin.

Martin will fill an immediate need, however, and replace the outgoing Bobby McCain in the secondary. The backfield for Washington is now a truly exciting unit, so whilst surprised that the front office went DB in rounds one and two, it is a bold decision that can allow a youthful playmaking DB group to develop and thrive in the seasons ahead.

Given the understandable furore surrounding the hire of new Assistant Head Coach Eric Bieniemy (who has OC responsibilities), I was moderately surprised that the table wasn’t banged for say an Anton Harrison at LT to keep his QB upright.

Bieniemy has inherited three excellent WRs in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel and a solid RB unit too. It was obvious that no explosive playmaking skill position guy would be drafted, but this does appear to have been more of a Rivera/Mayhew/Hurney draft in 2023 than Bieniemy-influenced.

And now, thoughts from Simon.

Favourite pick of the draft and why?

I'm really excited by the selection of Jartavius "Quan" Martin at 47.

The majority of the Commander's defensive snaps feature their 'Buffalo Nickel' packages with 5 defensive backs, and Martin adds depth and youth to an already impressive group in Kamren Curl, Derrick Forrest and Benjamin St-Juste (not to mention first round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr.) A corner-to-safety convert who adds versatility to the secondary, his football IQ and situational understanding should stand him in good stead as a pro.

Naturally, his 44-inch vertical leap and 11-foot-1-inch broad jump got him much attention at this year's Combine. However, the 5-foot-11 Martin brings so much more and was regarded by many as the second-best safety in the Draft, after Alabama's Brian Branch.

Versatility, athleticism, and a knack for finding the ball: just what's needed in the secondary (and I'm actually smiling whilst typing this - he could be a genuine playmaker for the team.)

Least favourite pick of the draft and why?

Before I get into the detail of this pick, there's a caveat: the reason behind my choice is I felt we could have gone for someone with more impact and starter-calibre at 118.

That said, I can see why Washington selected 6-foot-3, 294-pound offensive lineman Braeden Daniels. Similarly with Jartavius Martin, they love the potential for position-flex, which appears to be a theme for the Franchise in this Draft. Daniels played left and right tackle as a senior in high school, and then at the University of Utah played both tackle and guard.

In fact, in all the pre-Draft build up, several experts noted his versatility and strength. Indeed, he also earned an All-PAC 12 selection. But he's unlikely to start in week 1, given the need to develop and refine his footwork and weight distribution -- where he often leans into blocks too much.

On the plus side, he's an excellent athlete for his size and adds much needed depth to the offensive line. And he wore #71 in college -- so, if he can be half the player than Trent Williams was, then this pick will be deemed a success. No pressure, Braeden!

Overall, what surprised you with the haul?

Given the woes and clear weakness on the offensive line, I genuinely felt (and wanted) this to be an area addressed earlier in the draft.

Of course, Taking Arkansas' Ricky Stromberg with the 97th pick addressed that need to a degree. Once again, it felt like a key factor in the selection of the 6-foot-3, 306-pound centre was his versatility (he played 33 games at centre, 9 at right guard and 2 at left guard.) Not to take anything away from his ability, but I felt they'd go for a Tackle, and sooner than the third round.

Another area I felt may be addressed was line backer. It's been a positional group that we really haven't looked strong in for a number of years. And whilst Jamin Davis’s development continues in an upward trajectory, plus the addition of Cody Barton from Seattle, there really isn't much in the way of tried and tested talent outside of those 2.

Part of this, I'm sure, is that Washington rarely features packages requiring three line backers -- hence the pick of "Quan" Martin, who'll fit nicely into the Buffalo Nickel package.

I'm also a little surprised, given how the 2022 Draft panned out, that we didn't trade back. Listening to Coach Rivera and Martin Mayhew immediately after the Draft, it seems conversations were had, but moves (either back or up) just didn't transpire.

But overall, I was pleased with the haul. There's certainly been a tangible mood change around the franchise of late and that can only help as we start to think about the 2023 season, and beyond.