The Washington Commanders put together one of the biggest turnarounds in the NFL from the 2023 to 2024 season. Going from picking in the top three to playing in the NFC title game is one heck of a sequence within a 12-month period.
SB Nation NFL mock draft: Commanders give Jayden Daniels a fluid playmaker at WR with No. 29 pick
This pick could help the Commanders build on last year’s excellent season.
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Dan Quinn is an underrated head coach and I think people forget that he took the Falcons to the Super Bowl and nearly knocked off Tom Brady and Patriots in the process. He quickly turned the defense around into a strong unit and he put together a good offensive staff that obviously allowed Jayden Daniels to thrive in his first professional season.
Heading into Year 2 at the helm in Washington, Quinn needs to find those missing pieces to not only keep his team successful into 2025, but also to hopefully take that next step towards playing for another Super Bowl. That’s a tall order of course when you’re playing in the same division as the reigning champions.
So without further ado, with the 29th pick in the SB Nation Community Mock Draft, Scott Jennings of Hogs Haven has chosen to select wide receiver Matthew Golden out of the University of Texas.
29.) Washington Commanders: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Jennings: The EDGE run before Washington’s pick shifted the focus back to offense, and there were a lot of good options available. Matthew Golden’s speed and playmaking ability will fit in nicely in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense as they continue to build the team around Jayden Daniels.
Analysis: The Commanders offense was absolutely humming behind the play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels as they finished the 2024 regular season ranked seventh in the league, including a third-place finish in rushing yards per game. As for the passing attack, they finished 17th, a number they obviously hope to improve on should they end up going with a guy like Golden with their first-round pick.
Golden is a very fluid receiver who can win at all three levels of the field. He competes hard and attacks the ball in the air with a ferocity to make sure he’s the one that ends up coming down with it. If the Commanders are looking for playmakers who can shine in the biggest moments — maybe like in the NFC Championship game? — then Golden is a phenomenal pick. His best four-game stretch was the final four games of his Texas career, including the SEC title game and College Football Playoff.
Top five remaining players:
- Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
- Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
- Grey Zabel, iOL, North Dakota State
- Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Commanders went with one of our top receivers remaining on the board in Golden, but he wasn’t THE top receiver left. That honor still lies with Missouri’s Luther Burden. With the Bills now on the clock and only three picks remaining in the first round, which of our top players left on the board will have to wait at least one more night to hear their name called?
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