2024 NFL Mock Draft: Commanders Take Pass Rusher in First Round

In a new 2024 NFL Mock Draft, the Washington Commanders select a pass rusher in the first round.

The positive thing about the Washington Commanders trading pass rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young in advance of the trade deadline is that they now have ample draft capital to rebuild a struggling offensive line in front of quarterback Sam Howell. But the flip side of that is Washington now has a major need on the edge, one of the most important positions on the field. 

Could Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson be a target of the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL Draft?  :: Dan Rainville/USA Today

To that end, Pro Football Focus recently unveiled their latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft, and they have the Commanders using the No. 13 overall pick on Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson. 

"Robinson is going to 'wow' at the NFL Combine with his explosiveness scores, but he hasn’t mastered how to turn that into consistent pass-rush production," PFF wrote. "He takes over in some games, but there are too many outings where he goes quiet. Over the past two years, Robinson has five games with a 30%-plus pass-rush win rate and five with a sub-11% clip. He is still a work in progress, in that regard, but his talent level is very high." 

#PEU EDGE Chop Robinson gets off the ball so quickly and can turn the corner with the best of them. 2nd sack over the last three games for the Nittany Lions. pic.twitter.com/DNUdrnSYU8

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) October 14, 2023

In seven games for the Nittany Lions this season, Robinson -- whose given first name is Demeioun -- has five tackles for a loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. As noted, the 6-3, 240-pound pass rusher has some moments that jump off the page, but his overall body of work doesn't blow you away. Any team selecting him in the first round would be betting they can coach him up and help him reach what's clearly a very high ceiling. 

Of course, it's not clear right now what coaching staff will be in place for the Commanders next season. At 4-5, Washington isn't out of the playoff race, but their trade deadline approach suggested they are building for the future. And it's not apparent whether that future will include coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. 

What we do know is that Howell has been sacked a staggering 44 times this season. Even if there's an acknowledgement that he's held the ball too long at times this year, clearly bolstering the offensive line will need to be priority No. 1 this offseason. If Washington doesn't use their first round pick on an offensive linemen, it will put quite a bit of pressure on them to use free agency and the multiple picks they'll have in the second and third rounds to fix the most glaring issue on the team.