Washington Commanders Draft Profile: Utah DE Jonah Elliss

Does Utah Utes edge rusher Jonah Elliss have the potential to be the Washington Commanders next great defensive linemen?

Utah defensive lineman Jonah Elliss / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders cleaned house this offseason, and general manager Adam Peters was highly active in rebuilding the team in free agency. However, one position that must still be addressed is defensive end.

After trading away edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young at last year's trade deadline, the Commanders lack much pass-rushing talent on the defensive line’s edges, but drafting a player such as Utah’s Jonah Elliss could help solve that issue.

Utah defensive lineman Jonah Elliss / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Standing 6-2 and weighing 248 pounds, Elliss has enough size to make an impact at the next level, and he proved that in his final season with the Utes. He showed steady improvement in all three collegiate seasons of his career, but his jump from sophomore to junior season was eye-opening. 

Despite playing one less game as a junior, Elliss increased his tackles by 11 (37 total), tackles for loss by 10 (16 total), and sacks by nine (12 total), all while combining to force three fumbles over his past two campaigns. 

The Elliss name has NFL ties going back to his father, Luther Elliss, the Detroit Lions' first-round pick in 1995 who spent a decade playing professionally. His brother Kaden has played in the league since 2019, and now, Jonah will add to the Elliss legacy. 

Although entering college as a three-star recruit, Elliss asserted himself as a force and was recognized with just a few of his accolades, including being named as a Second-team Associated Press All-American, First-team All-Pac-12 Conference team member, and a finalist for the Lombardi Award (top lineman) and Ted Hendricks Award (top defensive end).

Now, all that’s left for Elliss is to hear his name called and begin his NFL career. Don’t be surprised if Peters views the productive edge rusher as a good fit for Dan Quinn’s defense and drafts him sometime on Day Two of the NFL Draft with one of Washington’s six top 100 picks, such as No. 67 overall.