NFL Draft: 4 Commanders Wide Receiver Options at No. 11

Timm Hamm

Apr 22, 2022

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Timm Hamm

Apr 22, 2022

Partner

While Washington has needs beyond wide receiver, there may be talent there too good to pass up.

The Washington Commanders appear to be in the middle of a rebuild. Or maybe you prefer the term reboot? Whatever the case, the situation dictates that the team tread carefully in next week's NFL Draft.

Terry McLaurin

Chris Olave

Garrett Wilson

With so many holes to fill on both sides of the ball up and down the entire roster, logic would dictate Washington takes the best player available with its first pick at No. 11. But while this isn't the deepest draft for a lot of positions, wide receiver might be an exception.

With top-tier options like Ohio State's Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, USC's Drake London, and Alabama's Jameson Williams available this year, Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew might be tempted.

Williams is coming off a knee injury, or he might be the first wideout taken in the draft. But there are other options, and Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network speculated what Washington might do about a receiver at No. 11:

“To me, Drake London would give them something that they (Washington) don’t have, just giving them that big frame.” Jeremiah continued. “He’d be a great fit there, physical; just love everything about his game. I have Garrett Wilson as the top wideout. I can’t imagine he’ll be there. There’s a chance London is there if both those guys are gone, (Terry) McLaurin already kind of gives you more of a kind of a complete receiver. I think there’s been a healthy obsession with speed in this league, so I would probably come down to Olave and Jameson Williams. I would lean to Olave just because I think he’s a more complete receiver. I think he’s a little bit better route runner. So that would be where I would lean. And I guess there’s nothing wrong with going back to Ohio State. When you hit on one there, you might as well go get another one.”

Drake London

Jameson Williams

Treylon Burks

There's no question the Commanders can't head into 2022 with McLaurin as their only healthy wideout, but looking even farther ahead, McLaurin's future with the club is in jeopardy entering a contract year. With the price tag for NFL receivers skyrocketing recently, Washington might not be able to afford to re-sign their former third-round pick.

Rivera didn't attend a ton of pro days, but he was in Columbus to see Olave and Wilson on display. Hopefully, he kept his notes.