2025 Road to the Draft – Part 1
February 4, 2025
By Noonefromtampa
Welcome to the 2025 edition of Road to the Draft.
What a difference a year makes, right? Normally we start speculating about how the team is going to be better next year and what roster holes we can fill with our draft picks starting after the last game in week 18.
This year the team is coming off a 12-5 regular season, two playoff victories, an appearance in the NFC Championship game and has continuity at four key spots: Managing Owner, Josh Harris; General Manager, Adam Peters; Head Coach, Dan Quinn; and Quarterback Jayden Daniels.
There has been a change in fortunes so vast in magnitude that fans have not seen the likes of it for 33 years.
The Hog Sty is your one-stop place get information about upcoming roster changes through free agency and the draft with reviews and analysis from now until training camp.
Offseason NFL 2025 Schedule
Dates of events known at this time as from published NFL Operations calendar.
| Date | Description |
| February 18, 2025 to March 4, 2025 | Beginning on this date through 4:00 p.m., New York time on March 4, clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players. |
| February 24, 2025 to March 3, 2025 | NFL Scouting Combine |
| March 10, 2025 to March 12, 2025 | UFA Negotiation Period aka Legal Tampering period |
| March 12, 2025 | New League begins at 4:00 P.M. Free Agency signing and trading period opens.
|
| March 30, 2025 to April 2, 2025 | Annual League Meeting at The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida |
| March 31, 2025 | Deadline for clubs to meet 2025 funding requirements for guaranteed or deferred compensation in NFL Player Contracts and contracts for non-player Club employees. |
| April 7, 2025 | Clubs that hired a new Head Coach after the end of the 2024 regular season may begin offseason workout programs. |
| April 16, 2025 | Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility. |
| April 18, 2025 | Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets. |
| April 21, 2025 | Clubs with returning Head Coaches may begin offseason workout programs. |
| April 23, 2025 | Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents who signed offer sheets.
Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls), or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location. |
| April 24, 2025 to April 26, 2025 | NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| May 1, 2025 | Deadline for Clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft. |
| May 2 to May 5 or
May 9 to May 12 |
Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft. |
Washington Free Agents
Washington has many impending free agents due to the number of one-year contracts dealt out last offseason to veterans that Peters signed.
| Player | Pos. | Type | Snaps | Age | Salary Avg. | Guarantees |
| Bobby Wagner | LB | UFA | 98.90% | 35 | $6,500,000 | $6,060,000 |
| Marcus Mariota | QB | UFA | 6.20% | 32 | $6,000,000 | $5,390,000 |
| Jeremy Chinn | S | UFA | 93.80% | 27 | $4,105,000 | $3,495,000 |
| K.J. Osborn | WR | UFA | 24.20% | 28 | $4,000,000 | $3,180,000 |
| Clelin Ferrell | EDGE | UFA | 34.30% | 28 | $3,750,000 | $3,050,000 |
| Tress Way | P | UFA | 30.00% | 35 | $3,312,500 | $6,415,000 |
| Dante Fowler Jr. | EDGE | UFA | 52.80% | 31 | $3,250,000 | $1,430,000 |
| Michael Davis | CB | UFA | 13.70% | 30 | $3,200,000 | $1,380,000 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | UFA | 65.00% | 35 | $3,000,000 | $1,960,000 |
| Cornelius Lucas | LT | UFA | 42.30% | 34 | $2,800,000 | $2,210,000 |
| Michael Deiter | LG | UFA | 15.70% | 29 | $1,800,000 | $320,000 |
| Trenton Scott | RT | UFA | 15.60% | 31 | $1,510,000 | $655,000 |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | UFA | 41.10% | 28 | $1,292,500 | $380,000 |
| Noah Igbinoghene | CB | UFA | 74.60% | 26 | $1,292,500 | $250,000 |
| Benjamin St-Juste | CB | UFA | 75.90% | 28 | $1,275,190 | $1,069,640 |
| Jamison Crowder | WR | UFA | 8.90% | 32 | $1,260,000 | $0 |
| Dyami Brown | WR | UFA | 40.60% | 26 | $1,236,000 | $955,636 |
| Sheldon Day | IDL | UFA | 24.00% | 31 | $1,210,000 | $0 |
| Nick Bellore | LB | UFA | 0.60% | 36 | $1,210,000 | $0 |
| Noah Brown | WR | UFA | 42.50% | 29 | $1,210,000 | $0 |
| Jeff Driskel | QB | UFA | 0.10% | 32 | $1,150,000 | $150,000 |
| Zane Gonzalez | K | UFA | 11.60% | 30 | $1,125,000 | $0 |
| Jeremy McNichols | RB | UFA | 22.60% | 30 | $1,125,000 | $0 |
| Austin Seibert | K | UFA | 25.90% | 29 | $1,125,000 | $0 |
| Jalyn Holmes | IDL | UFA | 23.30% | 29 | $1,125,000 | $0 |
| Mykal Walker | LB | UFA | 7.00% | 28 | $1,125,000 | $0 |
| John Bates | TE | UFA | 45.30% | 28 | $1,050,604 | $722,416 |
| Darrick Forrest | S | UFA | 4.20% | 26 | $947,769 | $311,076 |
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | ERFA | 6.90% | 26 | $915,000 | $0 |
Keep or Shown the Door
Which of the Washington’s free agents should be kept or shown the door. The Commanders have a number of players who could be brought back based on their level of play, however some of them may get priced out of what Adam Peters wants to pay.
Shown the door – Michael Davis, Benjamin St-Juste, Noah Igbinoghene, Darrick Forrest, Clelin Ferrell, Jeff Driskel
The defense needs a serious infusion of better talent and replacing these five players goes a long way towards that goal. Driskel might be brought back if Mariota signs elsewhere.
Keep but they may get a better offer – Bobby Wagner, Dante Fowler Jr., Jeremy Chinn, Marcus Mariota, Zack Ertz, Noah Brown, John Bates, Tress Way
These players all contributed significantly on the field in the 2024 season however some may get better offers from other teams or possibly desire to play closer to family.
Keep but GM’s choice – one or more players are needed to fill out competition for the position group.
WR – K.J. Osborn, Olamide Zaccheaus, Jamison Crowder, Dyami Brown
OL – Cornelius Lucas, Michael Deiter, Trenton Scott
DL – Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes
RB – Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez Jr.
ST – Nick Bellore, Mykal Walker, Zane Gonzalez, Austin Seibert
Draft
The purpose of this weekly column focuses on the draft and the players mocked to Washington in various mock drafts published on the Internet. It will be published weekly in the run up to the draft on April 24 in Green Bay.
If you want to have some fun making up your own mock drafts, check out these sites:
Needs
The overall talent level of the team needs to be increased to be able to compete with the more elite teams that a franchise faces when they have success. The most key positions that need immediate help are:
- Defensive line – stopping the run and pass rushing
- Offensive line – right tackle and a backup center
- Wide receiver – still need a consistent, true #2 receiver to pair with Terry McLaurin
- Cornerback – Probably another outside corner so Mike Sainristil can move back to slot corner.
Overall, they do need depth and/or role players at running back, safety and linebacker.
Early Mock Data
So far, 107 mock drafts have been published since December and last year we ended up tracking 400 different mocks. The Commanders will have the 29th overall pick in the first round. The position picked by descending frequency is:
| Position | Picked Count | Picked % |
| WR | 33 | 26.40% |
| Edge | 29 | 23.20% |
| OT | 29 | 23.20% |
| CB | 13 | 10.40% |
| LB | 6 | 4.80% |
| IOL | 5 | 4.00% |
| DL | 4 | 3.20% |
| RB | 3 | 2.40% |
| TE | 2 | 1.60% |
| S | 1 | 0.80% |
| Grand Total | 125 | 100.00% |
The players mock-picked to the Commanders in descending frequency:
| Player | Position | School | Picked Count | Picked % |
| Josh Conerly Jr. | OT | Oregon | 10 | 8.00% |
| Mike Green | Edge | Marshall | 9 | 7.20% |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State | 8 | 6.40% |
| Matthew Golden | WR | Texas | 7 | 5.60% |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | Texas | 7 | 5.60% |
| Aireontae Ersery | OT | Minnesota | 7 | 5.60% |
| Trey Amos | CB | Mississippi | 5 | 4.00% |
| Josh Simmons | OT | Ohio State | 5 | 4.00% |
| Shemar Stewart | Edge | Texas A&M | 4 | 3.20% |
| J.T. Tuimoloau | Edge | Ohio State | 4 | 3.20% |
| Jonah Savaiinaea | IOL | Arizona | 3 | 2.40% |
| Tre Harris | WR | Mississippi | 3 | 2.40% |
| Cameron Williams | OT | Texas | 3 | 2.40% |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | Texas | 3 | 2.40% |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | Notre Dame | 3 | 2.40% |
| Armand Membou | OT | Missouri | 3 | 2.40% |
| Jihaad Campbell | LB | Alabama | 3 | 2.40% |
| James Pearce Jr. | Edge | Tennessee | 3 | 2.40% |
| Luther Burden | WR | Missouri | 3 | 2.40% |
| Mykel Williams | Edge | Georgia | 3 | 2.40% |
| Elic Ayomanor | WR | Stanford | 2 | 1.60% |
| Ashton Jeanty | RB | Boise State | 2 | 1.60% |
| Donovan Jackson | IOL | Ohio State | 2 | 1.60% |
| Colston Loveland | TE | Michigan | 2 | 1.60% |
| Derrick Harmon | DL | Oregon | 2 | 1.60% |
| Nic Scourton | Edge | Texas A&M | 2 | 1.60% |
| Omarion Hampton | RB | North Carolina | 1 | 0.80% |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | Kentucky | 1 | 0.80% |
| Carson Schwesinger | LB | UCLA | 1 | 0.80% |
| Jalon Walker | LB | Georgia | 1 | 0.80% |
| Barrett Carter | LB | Clemson | 1 | 0.80% |
| Walter Nolan | DL | Mississippi | 1 | 0.80% |
| Wyatt Milum | OT | West Virginia | 1 | 0.80% |
| Kenneth Grant | DL | Michigan | 1 | 0.80% |
| Xavier Restrepo | WR | Miami | 1 | 0.80% |
| Kyle Kennard | Edge | South Carolina | 1 | 0.80% |
| Shavon Revel Jr. | CB | East Carolina | 1 | 0.80% |
| Landon Jackson | Edge | Arkansas | 1 | 0.80% |
| Nick Emmanwori | S | South Carolina | 1 | 0.80% |
| Josaiah Stewart | Edge | Michigan | 1 | 0.80% |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Arizona | 1 | 0.80% |
| Jalen Royals | WR | Utah State | 1 | 0.80% |
| Princely Umanmielen | Edge | Mississippi | 1 | 0.80% |
| Grand Total | 125 | 100.00% |
As you can see, with a lower projected draft pick due to making the playoffs this season, there is greater uncertainty of who Washington will draft over that last few years.
Sources: nflmockdraftdatabase.com, nfldraftbuzz.com, overthecap.com, sports-reference.com