The Washington Commanders own six picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night and concludes Saturday afternoon.
The Commanders hold the 11th overall selection in the first round of the draft. If they do not trade the pick, they estimate they'll be making their selection around 10 p.m. on Thursday. The first round of the draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.
Rounds two and three of the draft are set for Friday, April 29, with the second round beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The Commanders hold the 15th pick in the second round (47th overall) and, at present time, do not own a third-round selection.
The Commanders swapped second-round picks with the Indianapolis Colts and relinquished their third-round pick in this year's draft, plus a conditional third-round pick in next year's draft, and gained a seventh-round pick (240th overall) in their March trade for quarterback Carson Wentz.
Day three of the draft includes rounds four through seven and begins Saturday, April 30 at 12 p.m. ET.
Commanders 2022 Draft Picks:
Round 1: Pick 16 (Penn State WR Jahan Dotson)
Round 2: Pick 15 (47) – From Colts (Phidarian Mathis DT Alabama)
Round 3: Pick 34 (98) – From Saints
Round 4: Pick 8 (113)
Round 4: Pick 15 (120) – From Saints
Round 6: Pick 10 (189)
Round 7: Pick 9 (230)
Round 7: Pick 19 (240) – From Eagles via Colts
When:
Day 1: Round 1, Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
Day 2: Rounds 2-3, Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. ET.
Day 3: Rounds 4-7, Saturday, April 30 at 12 p.m. ET.
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Once scheduled to be the location for the 2020 NFL Draft before the COVID-19 pandemic wrecked those plans, Las Vegas finally gets its chance to serve as the host city for the 2022 NFL Draft. The NFL is sure to make it count this time around and is slated to hold the draft at the heart of the renowned Las Vegas Strip.
How To Watch:
The 2022 NFL Draft will be broadcast on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
Biggest Needs:
Wide Receiver
The Commanders have ample reason to use their first-round selection on a wide receiver, something they haven't done since selecting TCU's Josh Doctson 22nd overall in 2016. First, Terry McLaurin has done well to blossom into a star as a third-rounder in 2019 (76th overall) but has long needed a running mate to alleviate some pressure. That assignment was supposed to go to Curtis Samuel when he signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract with Washington last offseason, but injuries (groin) limited him to just five games and 38 total yards.
Now the Commanders have a chance to land a top receiving talent, which could come in the form of USC's Drake London or one of Ohio State's Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, at 11 overall. Although, per Eric Bickel of The Sports Junkies, the Commanders don't particularly fancy selecting a wide receiver at 11. If they are firm believers in newly acquired quarterback Carson Wentz, then they should give him every opportunity to succeed by surrounding him with talent. Plus, it would be wise to draft an insurance policy in case the Commanders for whatever reason are unable to reach an extension with McLaurin, who's set to hit free agency in 2023.
Defensive Back
The Commanders are thin in the secondary and likely couldn't go wrong going either cornerback or safety at 11. Cincinnati corner Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner will likely be long gone when their pick comes up, but LSU corner Derek Stingley Jr. or Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton could fall to them. If that scenario plays out, it would mark the sixth first-round pick Washington has used on a defensive player since 2017, beginning with defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and culminating with linebacker Jamin Davis.
Middle Linebacker
Speaking of Davis...
The Kentucky product was largely considered a surprise pick by Washington at 19 overall in 2021. While drafted to be the fix at a recurring position of need, Davis didn't exactly thrive in the "Mike" linebacker role and head coach Ron Rivera has gone so far as to say that's perhaps not the best use for him going forward. The Commanders have five picks after the first round to try to finally get this one right.
