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The Washington Commanders went into the 2021 season with some hope for making another run at the NFC East title. But after winning the division with a 7-9 record the year before, this season’s 7-10 campaign was a disappointing one, exposing serious flaws in Washington’s roster.
Most of the trouble was at the quarterback spot. Ryan Fitzpatrick succumbed to injury after on game, leaving the team with Taylor Heinicke. Despite some promise in earlier showings, Heinicke struggled, throwing 15 interceptions. The defense was supposed to be what kept the team moving forward, but that didn’t pan out either. Injuries hit the defensive line hard, and the secondary was a gift to opposing quarterbacks, giving up 255 passing yards per game.
Washington hopes to have addressed its quarterback problem with an offseason trade for Carson Wentz. We’ll see. They’ll need to land their picks in this year’s draft to fill the rest of the team’s needs.
Here’s a list of the Commanders’ picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
2022 Draft Picks
Round 1: No. 11 overall
Round 2: No. 47 (from Colts)
Round 4: No. 113
Round 6: No. 189
Round 7: Nos. 230, 240 (from Eagles through Colts)
Team needs
Offense
Despite signing Andrew Norwell to replace Brandon Scherff, the team still needs interior offensive lineman. They could really use another wide receiver to work opposite Terry McLaurin.
Defense
Kendall Fuller gives them one outstanding corner, but they need help in the secondary so teams can’t just throw it in the other direction. Last year’s addition of free agent William Jackson looks like a bust. They need help at linebacker too.
Dream first pick
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
A cornerback would probably make the most sense here and have the biggest immediate impact, but it’s hard to pass up the chance to get a second stud receiver to go with McLaurin.