Speaker 1: Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson, former
Speaker 1: Washington tied in Logan Falls and spent the week in
Speaker 1: Indianapolis at this year's combine. He joins me to break
Speaker 1: down various position groups and this year's top prospects. So
Speaker 1: Washington pry needing some depth and some good members to
Speaker 1: be able to join that offensive line to help protect
Speaker 1: whomever is back there at quarterback. Some names that you
Speaker 1: think Washington could potentially take at sixteen and do they
Speaker 1: go for an offensive lineman there? Yeah, I mean I
Speaker 1: think of one of those two guys, Peter Scronski or
Speaker 1: Paris Johnson fall to them at sixteen. I think they
Speaker 1: sprint that pickup as best as they can. Think those
Speaker 1: are excellent football players. I think those two are the
Speaker 1: best alignement in the class. I don't think they're going
Speaker 1: to be available, so if no one's there, possibly trade back.
Speaker 1: I think that second tier group has some really outstanding
Speaker 1: football players and it gets you excited. We know they
Speaker 1: talk a lot about position flex and we've seen over
Speaker 1: the last few seasons. Most certainly players have to be
Speaker 1: able to move all around on that offensive line. So
Speaker 1: are you looking at a guard, a tackle or really
Speaker 1: they even had four different centers that they had to
Speaker 1: go through last year as well, which is not ideal. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's not ideal, And I'm glad you brought up center
Speaker 1: because i think this draft is kind of very center dense,
Speaker 1: specifically in the second round. Tipman from Wisconsin, Smitch from Minnesota,
Speaker 1: Whippler from Ohio State are excellent football players then could
Speaker 1: all come in and start right now. All the different styles,
Speaker 1: but all very good football players. So if you look
Speaker 1: at the NFC East, there's a lot of receivers Washington
Speaker 1: has to go up and defend against, and we've already
Speaker 1: had to go drawn rovera before. So you have to
Speaker 1: look at what's going to be your main competition and
Speaker 1: make sure you can counteract against that. Defensive back secondary
Speaker 1: is certainly a position Washington would like to add extra
Speaker 1: depth that names that stood out too, Yeah, I mean
Speaker 1: I think they all did. I mean, I know that's
Speaker 1: kind of a generic thing with that whole group tested
Speaker 1: really well. Obviously, Christian Gonzalez is the guy that stole
Speaker 1: the show. And then you kind of go down the list,
Speaker 1: you say, Joey Porter Junior did an excellent job for
Speaker 1: a man of his size, Sam Smith from Carolina Forbes
Speaker 1: from Mississippi State. Gotta throw that in for Fred Smooth, Like,
Speaker 1: they all just tested really well and you're going to
Speaker 1: get a good value player. Kind of in the first
Speaker 1: two rounds. I think there's probably twelve guys that you
Speaker 1: feel really confident with, given that we know the receivers
Speaker 1: they do have to go up against on a week
Speaker 1: in week out basis, certain skill sets you look for.
Speaker 1: Deciding absolutely, I think there's a ton of really big, tall,
Speaker 1: physical guys in this draft, and I think that would
Speaker 1: be perfect for this team and the receivers they have
Speaker 1: to match up against. Now, the Commanders had success last
Speaker 1: season when they moved back to get John Dotson at
Speaker 1: sixteen overall and point what a performance he had in
Speaker 1: his rookie year, leading the team in touchdowns with seven
Speaker 1: as well. Just an outstanding rookie season. Oh standing performance,
Speaker 1: and quite frankly outstanding draft process. I mean they were
Speaker 1: up there and like kind of the middle rounds, they
Speaker 1: traded back, they got an excellent football player, they added
Speaker 1: value later in the draft. So not only did the
Speaker 1: get a good football player, but a good draft process.
Speaker 1: And I can't wait to see what a full year
Speaker 1: looks like for him because obviously had negotiated with that
Speaker 1: Hampshire injury, but really looking forard to watching the suff
Speaker 1: it really kind of showed a maturity beyond his years
Speaker 1: and what you can do when you put him on
Speaker 1: the field. Along with Terry McLaurin. Of course under Eric
Speaker 1: b Enemy, we're excited to see what that offense looks
Speaker 1: like as well. Now, skill position is not an area
Speaker 1: that's a glaring need, but should they potentially go and say,
Speaker 1: you know what, maybe there's a player that's just too
Speaker 1: good to pass up on when they're selecting to pick
Speaker 1: a name that would would fit that. Yeah, I mean
Speaker 1: obviously depends on when they're picking obviously, but a guy
Speaker 1: that really stuck out to me is at Perry from
Speaker 1: Wake Forest. He did an excellent job. He's a bigger
Speaker 1: body guy six four, two hundred twenty pounds, just caught
Speaker 1: the football in such a natural, easy way and that's
Speaker 1: unusual for a man in his side. So not going
Speaker 1: to be in those first three rounds probably, but a
Speaker 1: guy maybe later you say, oh, I can't believe he's
Speaker 1: still here. Let's grab that pick. And of course quarterback
Speaker 1: is in this group as well. Now we have Sam
Speaker 1: Howell by all means he gets that chance to be
Speaker 1: the starter. But could they make a move here. I
Speaker 1: think they could. I mean if there's someone that they
Speaker 1: really really like that they just have such a high
Speaker 1: evaluation on. I think you make that pick because you
Speaker 1: know you're not you're not married to Sam Howe. If
Speaker 1: you think someone's a generational talent, you definitely have to
Speaker 1: go with him. So when it comes to key traits
Speaker 1: that you're looking for that will be allowed these prospects
Speaker 1: to be winning on draft day, and especially for Washington.
Speaker 1: You just went over a whole bunch of guys that
Speaker 1: we could kind of get excited for. But who stands
Speaker 1: out the most that you think is most likely a selection? Yeah?
Speaker 1: So I think the guy that sticks out of that
Speaker 1: group is Anton Harrison. He's the guy, the tackle from Oklahoma.
Speaker 1: He's got really great athletic upside. He's an excellent pass
Speaker 1: pector got to grow up as a run blocker. But
Speaker 1: I think when you look at him, you say, man,
Speaker 1: he could be that kind of elite pass protecting offensive lineman,
Speaker 1: and as we know, this team struggle in that area
Speaker 1: last year. I think he brings a lot of value.
Speaker 1: Good big bodies. We all six fourth, fifteen pounds. We
Speaker 1: I always say, you kind of want those guys to
Speaker 1: be big and beefy up front to protect. Would they
Speaker 1: be ready to go right away? I think he's a
Speaker 1: guy that needs a little bit development. But again he's
Speaker 1: in that same group as you know Darnell Wright, Dwan Jones,
Speaker 1: those kind of big offensive linemen. You say, but he's
Speaker 1: got the best pass protection upside. So I think that's
Speaker 1: what you bet on with those a linemen. With over
Speaker 1: a month until the NFL Draft, Logan shared his combine
Speaker 1: standouts Jess finishing up with the combine here in Indianapolis.
Speaker 1: There were so many fantastic moments, so many wonderful athletes.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you five guys that I think they
Speaker 1: can help the Commanders out. One of my favorite players
Speaker 1: in this draft is Sidney Brown. He is a jacked up,
Speaker 1: rocked up dude. He's five ten, two hundred and fifteen pounds.
Speaker 1: He looks like a buff Bob Sanders. He plays like
Speaker 1: a buff Bob Sanders. He's got knocked back when he
Speaker 1: hits you. He hits tackles, he hits cards, He plays
Speaker 1: a linebacker, he plays safe, he plays in the post,
Speaker 1: he does it all. He's a heck of a football player.
Speaker 1: And he came to the combines and the explosive measurements
Speaker 1: backed it up. Not only that, but the leadership stuffs
Speaker 1: there too. At the podium, he looked like he was
Speaker 1: running for president at the Senior Bowl. Outstanding leadership. You
Speaker 1: could hear him talking and communicating all over the field.
Speaker 1: He's a heck of a football player. Would fill that
Speaker 1: Buffalo Nick role out nicely for this team. He's just
Speaker 1: going to be gone when the Commanders want to pick him.
Speaker 1: Anton Harrison was that man today. You know, his film
Speaker 1: is outstanding. He's an excellent pass protector, a little bit
Speaker 1: has difficulty with its kind of stoutness in the run game,
Speaker 1: but he ran an excellent forty. The Phil Droll showed
Speaker 1: his athleticism. Really like what I saw from today. It's
Speaker 1: a guy that I think is slowly moving into that
Speaker 1: first round. Still I think a little bit too high
Speaker 1: for Washington pick him at sixteen, But if they were
Speaker 1: to trade back or if something happens, I think that
Speaker 1: would be excellent spot for him. Really nice value at
Speaker 1: a guy they could play left and right tackle. Yeah, yeah, dieb.
Speaker 1: He did an excellent job of the combat today. You know,
Speaker 1: when I watched this film, I was a little bit disappointed,
Speaker 1: kind of lackluster playing that four eye over the tackle,
Speaker 1: not a great playmaking position. He wondered about his up
Speaker 1: gale athleticism, and he came out and said, I'm a
Speaker 1: tremendous athlete four or five six and the forty yard dash,
Speaker 1: all of the drill workd he looked powerful, physical smack
Speaker 1: in the bags, turning the corner, bend in the shoulder.
Speaker 1: I think he helped himself tremendously. And a guy that
Speaker 1: I think adds tremendous inside outside pass rush value, especially
Speaker 1: as a power rusher, and a guy that'll be available
Speaker 1: in that third, fourth, fifth round, I believe. So keep
Speaker 1: an eye out for Yah yeah Diabee a name that
Speaker 1: you should know if you don't know already, as Christian Gonzalez,
Speaker 1: the seventh fastest forty four dB ever four three eight
Speaker 1: forty one inch vertical, eleven one broad jump. All of
Speaker 1: those are outstanding numbers, and the tape backs up. He's
Speaker 1: never had a phase with receivers, and not to mention
Speaker 1: he's six two he's two hundred and five pounds. He
Speaker 1: is the freak of freaks at the defensive back position.
Speaker 1: The drill work looked excellent, the film looks excellent. He
Speaker 1: should be a top ten pick. But if he slides
Speaker 1: to Washington, run that card up there as fast as
Speaker 1: you can, you're gonna get a heck of a football player.
Speaker 1: Keith Mitchell from East Carolina University. He did an excellent
Speaker 1: job today. Everyone knew he was explosive, and with an
Speaker 1: explosive kind of undersized running back, you need to come
Speaker 1: out and run fast, and he ran exceptionally or fast
Speaker 1: four three eight and forty yard dash, the highest GPS
Speaker 1: speed values of any running back in college football last year,
Speaker 1: and it showed up. He caught the football well, good
Speaker 1: mover in the short area. I think, because this running
Speaker 1: back class is so deep, here's an explosive player that
Speaker 1: Washington could target in the later rounds and still have
Speaker 1: tremendous value. Keep an eye out for him. With so
Speaker 1: many exciting prospects, I can't wait to see what the
Speaker 1: Commanders are going to do in this draft and finish
Speaker 1: the puzzle for this roster. For all your news and analysis,
Speaker 1: be sure to Tune into Command Center weeknights at five
Speaker 1: and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also
Speaker 1: stream on YouTube and commanders dot com.