2024 NFL Mock Draft: Commanders Take Top Tackle?

The Washington Commanders could look to add some protection at the top of next year's draft.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are welcoming their newest draft class this week, but the scouting department's sights will soon shift towards the 2024 NFL Draft.

It's almost impossible to tell how next season will shake out and where each team will end up in the draft order, but Pro Football Focus made an attempt.

With the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, the Commanders selected Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.

"Fashanu was a projected first-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft but opted to return to get his master’s degree," PFF writes. "Not only does he excel in the classroom, but he also excels in pass protection. His 84.7 pass-blocking grade was sixth among Power Five tackles, and he didn’t surrender a sack and only allowed one hit on 281 pass-blocking snaps."

There is reason to believe that the Commanders will seek an offensive tackle at the start of next year's draft. The team currently employs Charles Leno Jr. and Cornelius Lucas at the tackle spots, two players in their 30's. Washington has younger options on the roster, like 2021 draftee Sam Cosmi and 2023 rookie Braeden Daniels, but the Commanders can get an instant difference-maker in Fashanu.

Washington hopes that it won't be in position to draft a player as high on the big board as Fashanu, but the 2023 football season - both in college and the pros - will shake things up and likely put everything in disarray.

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Published Apr 30, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.