Commanders Keeping Cards Close to Vest with Round 1 Pick

The Washington Commanders can go in multiple directions in the 2023 NFL Draft.

With pick No. 16 in the NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders are well-positioned to go in multiple directions.

If one of the players near the top of Washington's board happens to fall outside of the top 10, it won't cost too much to move up and take them. Or, if there isn't a player the Commanders like at No. 16, they can trade down to get better value and more picks.

That flexibility is something the Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew credits to his staff. 

"We have the flexibility to go anywhere in the first round," Mayhew said. "That is a credit to our pro department, to our coaching staff who also evaluated all of those players. We are set up in really good shape going into our draft this year.” 

Trading back in 2022 has seemingly panned out for Washington. The Commanders moved back from No. 11 to No. 16 with the New Orleans Saints and landed Jahan Dotson. 

Dotson had 35 catches for 523 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games during his rookie campaign. 

Trading up in the first round also paid huge dividends for Washington in 2019. The team moved up to the No. 26 overall pick from the second round to land defensive end Montez Sweat. 

Sweat had his fifth-year option picked up and set career-highs in tackles-for-loss and quarterback hits.

So, regardless of whether the team trades up, down or stays put, every option seems feasible going into tonight's draft.

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