The Commanders have done a fantastic job at building this team in just a single season to drag the franchise out of the mud it has been stuck in for quite some time. The coaching led by Dan Quinn and the emergence of Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels has been a pleasant surprise, but there is work to be done if they want to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.
There are plenty of ways for a team to improve their roster from trades to free agency, but another way is through the NFL draft. This off-season’s NFL draft is set to take place April 24th from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin and according to CBS Sports’ Mike Renner, the Commanders will be selecting one of the elite edge defenders with the 29th overall pick in Tennessee Volunteers’ edge James Pearce Jr..
“James Pearce Jr. is one of the best athletes in the defensive end class. He made big strides as a run defender this past fall as well. While he needs to get stronger, Pearce has the kind of traits that head coach Dan Quinn has been able to deploy effectively.”
The Commanders struggled a ton last season in stopping the run and would look towards Pearce’s improved run defense in order to help in that area. Washington was able to get to the quarterback at moments but it didn’t always and there is room for improvement in getting after the passer as well with an aging defensive line with Dante Fowler Jr. and Jalyn Holmes both set to enter free agency.
As Renner mentioned, Pearce is a freak athlete who uses his unique combination of size and strength who could eventually see his impact move from immediate pass-rush specialist to an every-down lineman as he develops further. Given his athletic traits, head coach Dan Quinn should be able to use Pearce Jr. in a multitude of ways as he works towards becoming a complete player. His toolbox is near fully built but he will need to work on leveraging his power against elite NFL offensive lineman at the next level.
