Daily Slop – 23 Feb 25 – The case for Washington to draft Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

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ESPN

2025 NFL free agency: Best team fits for top 50 players

17. Haason Reddick, Edge

Best team fit: Washington Commanders

Reddick might be looking at a short-term deal after holding out to start the 2024 season before being traded to the Jets. But he has a history of making impact plays, with 59 sacks and 18 forced fumbles over his career. And before last season, he put together three straight campaigns with a pass rush win rate over 20%. Reddick would fill a need for the Commanders on the edge, and I like the fit as a schemed rusher in Dan Quinn’s defense.

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Riggo’s Rag

Brian Robinson uncertainty could lead Commanders to dynamic NFL Draft prospect

Four of the top five offenses in the NFL in 2024 featured running backs drafted in the first or second round. Every single Pro Bowl runner in the NFC last season was a first-rounder. Every single one in the AFC was chosen in the second round. Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, was the secret ingredient the Philadelphia Eagles needed to go from contender to champion.

Commanders should seriously consider drafting RB TreVeyon Henderson

[M]ost draft projections have Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson not only available at No. 29 but possibly when Washington picks in the second round.

Henderson has good size — 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds — together with blazing speed. He has been timed at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash. More importantly, his strength and speed have been evident on the field against top-level college competition.

He had a dominant freshman year in 2021, rushing for better than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes and found the end zone four more times as a receiver.

Injuries slowed him down a bit over the next two seasons, though he remained productive. Henderson once again went over 1,000 yards on the ground and snagged 27 catches in his final college season. He averaged better than seven yards per carry in 2024.

[I]f a game-changer like Henderson is available in the second round, the Commanders should snap him up.

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Sports Illustrated

Should the Commanders pursue recently released defenders?

The Washington Commanders need reinforcements. Could recently released Sheldon Rankins and Dane Jackson be on their radar?

The Commanders have several areas that need reinforcement, including defensive tackle and cornerback. With recent releases across the league, two intriguing names have hit the open market defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and cornerback Dane Jackson.

Rankins, a former first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, was let go after just one season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He started seven games before landing on the non-football injury list, which cut his season short. His release frees up $9.6 million in cap space for the Bengals, making him an available veteran presence on the interior defensive line.

When healthy, Rankins has proven to be a disruptive force, particularly against the run. He also provides some pass-rushing upside, having recorded at least three sacks in four different seasons.

Jackson, who spent time with the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and the Carolina Panthers last year, was released after a short stint. He played in nine games with three starts, serving primarily as a depth option in the secondary.

The Commanders have a major need at cornerback, but the question is whether Jackson moves the needle enough. While he’s a serviceable depth piece, he isn’t a game-changer in coverage.

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NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Cowboys free agency: Stealing a free agent from every NFC East team in 2025

Today we will take a look at free agents from the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants and see what players they could realistically go after from their division rivals.

Washington Commanders

• Jeremy Chinn, SAF
• Projected Contract: 3 yrs — $7.5m avg/yr

The Cowboys currently have their two starting safeties from the 2024 season returning in 2025, but with some recent slippage in play, safety is a position they could upgrade this offseason. Jeremy Chinn is a versatile safety that can do a lot of the interchanging Matt Eberflus likes in his safeties.

Chinn, just 26 years old is young, relatively affordable, and is a quality player against the run and the pass on the backend. The Cowboys could save just over $5M in releasing safety Donovan Wilson and could use the savings to bring in Chinn, who has been a much better players recently.

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NFL league links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

NFL beat writer mock draft 2025: Giants, Raiders secure their futures at QB

The 2025 NFL Draft is just over two months away, so there’s still a lot of time for draft boards to change. Inevitably, the information gathered at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine will lead to plenty of shuffling. Who tested off the charts? Whose medicals raised red flags? Whose interviews impressed evaluators? We’ll learn a lot next week in Indianapolis, but before that happens, we’re going to have a little fun with our first beat writer mock draft of the offseason.

1. Tennessee Titans: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

2. Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

3. New York Giants: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Maybe he’s not the best player on the board, but he’s the best one at a position the Giants desperately need to address. In this scenario, the Giants get to choose between Ward and Shedeur Sanders and go with our draft guru Dane Brugler’s No. 15-ranked player. Ideally, the Giants will have already added a capable veteran starter in free agency, which will allow the 22-year-old Ward to sit for a while and learn what it takes to play in the NFL. He possesses a fascinating skill set, including a big arm and exciting playmaking ability. In other words, there’s plenty of talent there for coach Brian Daboll and company to mold. — Charlotte Carroll

4. Las Vegas Raiders: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Trade: Patriots trade No. 4 to Raiders for Nos. 6 and 68.

12. Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

There are plenty of holes that need to be filled, but running back tops the list. The Cowboys could land a good one in the second or third round, but Jeanty gives them the best back in the draft and a player capable of making a significant impact on an offense that needs playmakers. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer is expected to put more of an emphasis on the run game. Adding Jeanty could bring the type of impact Ezekiel Elliott had in 2016. Establish a quality run game and all of a sudden Dak Prescott sees more favorable opportunities in the passing game. To catch the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys need to operate more aggressively in March. I have doubts about that happening. They’re unlikely to make a big move to get a standout back like Philadelphia did with Saquon Barkley. Drafting Jeanty is the next best option. — Jon Machota

29. Washington Commanders: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

The board works out nicely for Washington considering its needs at offensive tackle, edge rusher (Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton) and wide receiver (Texas’ Matthew Golden) are available. Since the DE class is considered deep, the Commanders start the draft by helping QB Jayden Daniels, beefing up his offensive line. Both of last season’s tackle starters are on the roster, but it’s unclear if the front office sees 2024 third-rounder Brandon Coleman as the long-term left tackle. Meanwhile, right tackle Andrew Wylie is a potential salary-cap cut. Backups Cornelius Lucas and Trent Scott are free agents, so there’s a depth aspect regardless. The 6-4, 325-pound Banks started three seasons for the Longhorns. He won’t turn 21 until March and has long-term potential at left tackle. One of the three tackles could open the season at right guard, while Sam Cosmi rehabs from ACL surgery. — Ben Standig

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State

With a fair amount of defensive tackle talent available in the second round, the Eagles considered trading out of the first round. But in this one-round mock, they were somewhat unsurprised to find the phone lines dead. Oh well. The first stop of this offseason cycle is free agency, and there’s a good chance Milton Williams, who tallied two sacks in Super Bowl LIX, will draw a higher market price than the Eagles are willing to pay. So, GM Howie Roseman returns to restocking the trenches after a one-year reprieve. Tyleik Williams (6-2, 322 pounds) is a bit beefier than Milton Williams (6-3, 290), but Tyleik is an excellent run defender with inside-outside versatility. It’s not bad for the Eagles to have options here while weighing whether to pick up Jordan Davis’ fifth-year option after the 2025 season concludes. — Brooks Kubena

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