Washington Early Mock Draft: Addressing Needs and Using Best Player Available

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February 20, 2024

by David Earl

Way Too Early Mock

Now the offseason is in full swing and the mock draft season has begun, I have decided to take a stab at this for the second straight season. Approaching this draft is a bit more unique than what we fans are used to, considering the team is under new ownership and now has true football-intelligent people running the front office. I’m not saying what Ron Rivera put together was layered with unintelligent men but it was a structure that had no real definable direction. Rivera made far too many decisions based of non-football accolades such as the character and player discipline. While those should be factors in every evaluation, they shouldn’t be the principal criteria in decisionmaking when drafting football players unless the prospect is a borderline headcase. A recent example of Rivera’s stubborn stances was selecting Emmanuel Forbes over Christian Gonzalez in the 2023 draft. I could compile a laundry list of decisions that hurt the roster construction, but I would instead rather just move forward with the new regime.

In this year’s early mock draft, I primarily attacked the needs of this team while keeping the best available in mind as I saw these prospects. Last year, I didn’t incorporate trades, but the computer-generated offers were reasonable, and moving back from pick 2 to pick 3 was a no-brainer. I’ll go into more detail about the trades made later as I went from four picks in the top one hundred to 6 while also collecting future assets. One of the reasons for doing so is to learn from the lesson of general manager Adam Peters, who was part of an aggressive draft to move up for Trey Lance, which we all know didn’t work out. The Patriots will certainly be aggressive in order to get their quarterback and, with the Chicago Bears clearly tipping their hand heading into this draft, Washington is in a great position to benefit. With all that said, let’s dive into this mock draft; hopefully, this year turns out better than last year’s. Also, the following descriptions of each player’s strengths and weaknesses come from Draft Buzz as I wanted to stay away from the more common resources for another perspective, not to minimize the site as they have reputable writers and evaluators too.  According to Draft Buzz:

Pick 3 QB Jayden Daniels, LSU (6’4″, 200lbs)

  • Strengths: Duel threat quarterback who works best on the move. Strong presence within the pocket with excellent vision to find open lanes when pressured. Excellent arm strength at all 3 field levels with a strong compact throwing motion, quick release, and technically sound footwork.
  • Weaknesses: Sometimes, he can have some consistency issues within the pocket and struggle to get deep into his progressions. These inconsistencies will, at times, hamper his throwing motion and accuracy as well.
  • First Trade: This trade back with New England worked out two-fold for Washington, because they gained future assets and still landed who I believe will ultimately be their top guy after Caleb Williams. Washington received picks 34 and 68 plus New England’s second-round and third-round picks in the 2025 draft.

Pick 34 OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma (6’7″, 328lbs)

  • Strengths: Athletic tackle with great footwork which allows him to pull off the line. Great short-area quickness and powerful engagement with defenders make him very strong in run blocking. A strong balanced frame that allows for quick re-engagement making his technique very strong in the pass game.
  • Weaknesses: Does not have an elite arm length and leverage which may result in struggles against the elite edge rushers at the next level. Can struggle against complex defensive schemes at times with stunts and gap exchanges. He is strongest in pass protection as his run block protection needs refinement being late off the line at times
  • Acquired Pick: This is the first selection as a result of trade back with New England and was an immediate slam dunk. Most likely best suited for right tackle and should solidify the right side of the offensive line with Samuel Cosmi. After a run of the best left tackles late in the first round, Guyton was not only a pick of need but the best available player on the board.

Pick 37 OG Graham Barton, Duke (6’5″, 314lbs)

  • Strengths: Great leverage off the snap with power and excellent blocking in space showing great range. Excellent hand technique and a wide base give him a strong anchor against interior line rushers. Recognition at the line versus complex defenses is excellent.
  • Weaknesses: His arm length has him more suited for the interior offensive line. Can leave himself exposed to power rushers losing the point of attack at times and can struggle with consistency issues.
  • Trade Back: The Los Angeles Chargers sent a 2025 third round pick to swap with Washington at pick 36. By picking up a future asset, Washington is now in a position to fill out the interior offensive line in Barton at the left guard position.

Pick 40 LB Jeremiah Trotter, Clemson (6’0″, 230lbs)

  • Strengths: One of the top pass coverage linebackers who can also diagnose the run very well. Primarily suited for zone coverage and possesses the range to cover side line to side line. Physical downhill player who excels as a pass rusher utilizing great speed and technique.
  • Weaknesses: Can struggle to maintain ground against interior offensive linemen and can lose gap integrity as a result. May struggle against more complex run designs and his overall size is not prototypical for a linebacker.

Pick 67 RB Jonathon Brooks, Texas (6’0″, 202lbs)

  • Strengths: Has excellent start/stop movement with great footwork while displaying great contact balance. Very elusive as a runner who can quickly get to the edge. Shows soft hands and can make off-target catches making him a true threat in the passing game. Is certainly capable of being a downhill between-the-tackles runner but his vision and agility make him a true homerun threat inside or outside the tackles.
  • Weaknesses: Can make unnecessary decisions for that big play instead of patiently allowing his blockers to create his running lanes. Is limited as a feature runner only doing so for one season thus may struggle to maintain a high level of success.

Pick 68 OC Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia (6’4″, 310lbs)

  • Strengths: A strong flexible core allows him to maintain his blocks against much stronger defensive linemen. Quick to recognize and react to complex defensive schemes in reacting to twists and stunts. Consistently wins at the point of attack with good consistent footwork and has a quick snap jump to quickly gain leverage in his blocks.
  • Weaknesses: Short arms could have him struggle in run blocking and can get choppy with his feet while moving back in pass blocking. Will struggle at times against quicker elite rushers.
  • Acquired From New England: Moving back from pick 2 to pick 3, Washington adds a strong piece at center for the offensive line. There will be some development needed here but this pick reminds me of the Chase Roullier selection years ago.

Pick 100 TE Jeheim Bell, Florida State (6’1″, 244lbs)

  • Strengths: Exceptional agility at the position with great ball tracking. Great in moving laterally in routes with excellent contact balance to navigate in traffic. He’s a true yards after the catch receiver with great open field speed. Capable of moving off the line into the slot generating idea mismatches.
  • Weaknesses: Liability as both a run and pass blocker while lacking the typical size for a tightened.

Pick 102 CB Mike Sainristil, Michigan (5’10”, 182lbs)

  • Strengths: Surprisingly strong off the line with the speed to open up his hips. His Footwork and route recognition are exceptional leading him to break quickly and disrupt the pass.
  • Weaknesses: Can lose his steps in transition and thus may struggle against some explosive receivers. Not a real physical tackler in the run game and struggles to maintain inside technique in man coverage.

Pick 137 WR Jacon Cowing, Arizona (5’8″, 165lbs)

  • Strengths: Great speed to get over the top of the defense and in a catch-and-run situation. Strong agility in space making tacklers miss while tracking the ball well on deeper routes. Natural screen receiver and his footwork allows him to be an effective runner from the backfield.
  • Weaknesses: Can lack concentration coming back for the ball leading to some bad drops. Needs to understand coverages better in order to sit down in an opening in zone coverages. Will struggle in press-man coverage at times.

Supplement Through Free Agency

When a team us unable to effectively address a few positions in this draft, free agency can certainly go a long way to fix these positions. There will be a certain need for a veteran quarterback not named Kirk Cousins and, missing on the top left tackles in the draft, Charles Leno Jr may be the only true option this offseason. Edge rusher and free safety options are relatively deep with the tight end position, but I am unsure what direction Kliff Kingsbury will desire to go.