NFL Draft: Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa to Washington Commanders?

Should the Washington Commanders draft Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa and pair him with Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the secondary?

Iowa State Cyclones defensive back T.J. Tampa (2) / Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

Football fans should expect a new-look Washington Commanders squad next season, thanks to the new regime of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.

One thing that should remain the same as last year, though, is that the team should prioritize improving its defense early in the draft, and Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa could be a good fit for the franchise. 

Iowa State Cyclones defensive back T.J. Tampa (2) / Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa made the All-Big 12 second team after a strong senior season. The Cyclones starter dominated the stat sheet in his fourth and final season with the team, finishing totaling 44 tackles, three for loss, seven pass deflections. and two interceptions.

While Washington is expected to take a quarterback No. 2 overall, the team will still have another five picks in the top 100 selections after that, and Tampa is projected to be drafted in the second round of this year’s draft. Last year, the Commanders invested the No. 16 pick in Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., a player who could help establish a formidable young secondary alongside Tampa. 

Washington could decide that adding a player like Tampa with its No. 40 overall pick elevates this team’s secondary into a respectable unit after the Commanders gave up the most passing yards of any defense in 2023, 4,627 yards. 

Quinn is renowned as a defensive guru who coached the Dallas Cowboys defense to be among the best in the NFL over the past few years. Now, he’ll get a chance to make a similar impact with the Commanders; he just needs the right players, and Tampa could be one of the team’s missing pieces.