NFL Draft: Commanders 'Discussed' Trade Down From No. 16

The Washington Commanders were interested in trading down from No. 16, but they could not find a partner in time.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 28, 2023

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Washington Commanders

A couple heads were scratching when the Washington Commanders selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with the No. 16 pick in Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft.

The decision confused people not because of Forbes' talent, but there was a chance that he could have been available later in the round. Knowing how much general manager Martin Mayhew likes to trade back from last year's deal with Jahan Dotson, many were surprised that the Commanders didn't do the same this year ... but the opportunity never arose.

"We didn't get any calls this year," Mayhew said. "We got a ton last year, but we didn't get 'em this year. We discussed that and looked at it. There were a number of guys that we liked. We felt there was a certain distance we could go back and still get one of those guys, but the call didn't come and we made the call to get Emmanuel.”

Ultimately, the Commanders stuck to their principles and took the player they wanted regardless of the positioning in the draft. It would have been nice to acquire a couple more assets, but the Commanders played the cards they were dealt when it came time to pick.

The Commanders are on the clock again tonight with pick No. 47, where Washington may have its first chance to trade back and gain more assets.

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Published Apr 28, 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.