Having the No. 2 overall pick, the Washington Commanders are set to be one of the more interesting teams in the 2024 NFL Draft. It's likely they stick with an obvious pick, at least as far as position goes, that being a quarterback, choosing between potentially three prospects. But after that, the Commanders will look to fill many more needs.
The Commanders will have a total of nine picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. After their first-round pick at two, they'll have two second-round picks (No. 36 and 40), three third-round picks (No. 67, 78, and 100), two fifth-round picks (No. 139 and 152), and one seventh-round pick (No. 222). That should be enough to at least shore up some needs and add some depth to go along with what was a fairly active free agency.
But this will likely be just the beginning of what will be a multi-year overhaul for the Commanders, who are starting all over beginning with the ownership all the way to new head coach in former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. But the question is, where will the Commanders begin after likely choosing the hopeful quarterback for the future? Here are three Commanders sleeper prospects they should target in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State
Unless the Commanders want to make the biggest surprise of the entire draft and take Georgia's Brock Bowers at No. 2 overall, they'll miss out on the prospect. That means they'll have to seek out a tight end in their later picks. One tight end to keep an eye on is former Buckeye Cade Stover.
A lot of scouts are wary of Stover due to him switching positions at Ohio State from linebacker to tight end. But his versatility should be a pro, not a con. His explosiveness has also come into question, but overall, he's a well-versed player with natural athletic ability who could find himself eventually being a TE1, per PFF. He was also probably heavily overlooked at Ohio State due to the overwhelming wide receiver talent around him.
Regardless, if it's Stover or another tight end prospect, it's clear that the Commanders need to find a reliable tight end. They did acquire veteran Zach Ertz in free agency, which is an upgrade from Logan Thomas. But the 33-year-old has had his issues with injuries over the last couple of seasons.
Austin Booker, Edge, Kansas
The Commanders tried putting together a rotation of edge defenders in last year's free agency to go along with their 2023 fifth-round pick KJ Henry. However, none have quite panned out the way Washington would like. And with Quinn, a former defensive coordinator who has had the likes of Micah Parsons to facilitate in his defense previously, the new head coach will look to upgrade the room.
One sleeper prospect edge rusher could be Austin Booker out of the University of Kansas. Again, being quarterback-needy, the Commanders will miss out on the top edge prospects in this year's draft. But finding someone like Booker could still end up being a significant get for a team needy of a pass rush.
In comparison to those other impressive edge rushers at the NFL Combine, Booker didn't have his best day, clocking much slower in the 40-yard dash (4.79), but he still shouldn't be disregarded. Only a redshirt sophomore, Booker had eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss last season, ranking third-best in the Big 12.
Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
Looking at another Day 2 pick, the Commanders could look to further beef up their wide receiver room to give their rookie quarterback another weapon. Whoever that quarterback may be will already have Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but a big-bodied receiver would also be a welcome addition to the group.
At 6-foot-7, 237 pounds, that probably fits former Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson pretty well. Now imagine that type of size having insane athletic ability and you create a lot of intrigue for teams like the Commanders looking for another receiver that might be unique to just Wilson in this draft.
If not for Keon Coleman, Wilson could have been the Seminoles' top receiver last season. But still, in 2023, he had 41 catches for 617 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps one of the biggest questions concerning Wilson is if he is a true wide receiver or a tight end at the next level? Either way, that would fit a need for the Commanders, making him an even more intriguing option building around what they hope will be their franchise quarterback.
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