Daily Slop – 22 Apr 25 – It’s all player rankings and mock drafts (and one NHL playoff OT goal)

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles

Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders draft guide: Positions of need, prospects to watch on defense

Washington has options, thanks to a deep group of pass rushers and cornerbacks in this year’s draft.

[Cornerbacks] to watch:

Trey Amos, Mississippi. Let’s assume Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Michigan’s Will Johnson and Texas’s Jahdae Barron are all off the board by the 29th pick. Amos is viewed by multiple analysts as next in line, with the desired height (6-1), weight (195) and speed (4.43 in the 40 at the combine) for the position. He spent his first three years at Louisiana Lafayette before transferring to Alabama in 2023 and then to Mississippi after Nick Saban retired. In his one season as a starter, he tied for the SEC lead with 16 passes defended, had a team-high three picks and was voted first-team all-SEC by the conference’s coaches.

Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky. A multisport athlete growing up, Hairston was a two-year starter as field corner at Kentucky. In 2023, he led the SEC with five interceptions, two of which he ran back for touchdowns, and recorded a team-high 11 passes defended. His track background showed on the field and at the combine, where he ran the fastest 40 (4.28 seconds) of any participant this year. Hairston was limited to only seven games last season because of a shoulder injury, but he was a part of the Commanders’ group top-30 visit last week.

Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State. Thomas was a one-year starter as an outside corner at Florida State. He doesn’t have the 40 speed of some other corners, but he has good size and length, standing 6-1 and 197 pounds with arms that measure 32⅜ inches. He decided to go pro after three years with the Seminoles, but he has only 13 starts under his belt and doesn’t turn 21 until July. His footwork might need some improvement, but he has the tools and competitiveness to be a solid player.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders 7-round 2025 mock draft: Help for Jayden Daniels, defense

Trades

• Commanders trade No. 29 to Bears for Nos. 39, 72
• Commanders trade No. 72 to Chargers for Nos. 86, 125, 2026 fourth

Round 3, No. 86 (via Chargers) — Savion Williams, WR, TCU*

Trading for Samuel, a 2026 free agent, was an acknowledgment that the offense needed more playmakers around Daniels. The help wanted sign remains entering the value portion of this draft. Consider Williams a bigger (6-foot-4), faster (4.48) and younger version of Samuel, who can also be deployed outside or from the backfield. There is some redundancy for now with Samuel, but offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury would have oodles of fun setting Williams loose on defenses.

Considered: West Virginia OL Wyatt Milum, Michigan DE Josaiah Stewart, Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr., Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten

Round 4, No. 125 (via Chargers) — Devin Neal, RB, Kansas*

Finding a three-down back becomes challenging after the top 3-4 options this year. The 5-foot-11, 213-pound Neal, the Jayhawks’ all-time leading rusher, has a chance. His floor is that of a steady contributor who knows how to modulate his speed to significant effect. Washington’s backfield of Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols are all 2026 free agents.

Brugler: “Neal isn’t a punishing runner, but he consistently creates yardage with his pacing, wiggle and knack for setting up defenders.”

Considered: Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II, Maryland WR Tai Felton, Texas DE Barryn Sorrell

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Riggo’s Rag

Insider’s Jaxson Dart buzz gives Commanders window for perfect NFL Draft trade

Peters will explore potential trade-down options depending on how things shake out. An intriguing revelation from Adam Schefter of ESPN could provide the front-office leader with a big chance to recoup some assets.

Teams are reportedly showing little desire to move into the top 10. This isn’t perceived as the best quarterback class, so moving back into the first round is more realistic if prospects of interest are there for the taking.

Commanders could benefit greatly if Jaxson Dart makes it to No. 29

Schefter revealed that the New Orleans Saints have already made inquiries about trading up in the second round from No. 40 overall if Jaxson Dart is available. If the NFC South club wants the Ole Miss signal-caller and the luxury of a fifth-year option, calling the Commanders would be a good place to start.

“[Jaxson] Dart would figure to be squarely in play for the Saints’ next pick, whether that’s in the second round (No. 40) or a trade-up. An then there’s this: New Orleans already has made exploratory calls about trading up in Round 2, per league sources, and it’s worth noting it has two third- and two fourth-round picks.”

Having the No. 29 pick is tricky, but it won’t take long for teams to panic once polarizing Colorado prospect Shedeur Sanders comes off the board. Dart, Tyler Shough, and Jalen Milroe are the best of the rest, and teams won’t want to miss out if all it’ll take is giving up one or two extra picks to seal the deal.

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Commanders.com

Could Washington get NFL Draft’s ‘most underrated’ player?

The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.

We’re wrapping up this year’s series by looking at a mock draft from NFL.com’s Marc Ross, who believes the Commanders could take a steal with the 29th overall pick.

JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State

The Washington Commanders did plenty to provide short-term answers to their depth issues at defensive end. Their longer-term options, however, are in shorter supply.

The Commanders are starting the 2025 NFL Draft at a significantly different spot compared to a year ago, so getting the top player pass-rushers like Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker or Mykel Williams will not be an option for them. Fortunately, this year’s class is deep at the position, so they still have a chance to take a starter or prospect who can fill a heavy workload.

It’s one of the reasons Commanders fans should trust general manager Adam Peters, who has shown a knack for finding the right fit for head coach Dan Quinn’s culture and schemes. Ross has Peters finding another gem in Tuimoloau to help elevate Washington’s reworked pass rush.

“Maybe the most underrated player in this draft class,” Ross wrote. “Tuimoloau joins Dan Quinn’s defensive front as a hard-nosed and productive talent.”

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Podcasts & videos

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NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Ranking 14 defensive tackle prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft

Tier 3

9. CJ West, Indiana, 6-1 1/8 316

Overall: A versatile, powerful run defender with some juice to collapse the pocket. CJ West has some untapped potential as a pass rusher, and his combine performance will bump him up draft boards. However, his short arms and limited flexibility may cap his upside.

12. Joshua Farmer, Florida State, 6’3 305

Overall: Joshua Farmer is a thick-framed, high-motor defensive lineman with the build, burst, and hand usage to be a very good run defender at the next level. He’s still developing as a pass rusher, but the raw tools are there. He could become a disruptive rotational piece who fits multiple fronts (can play 1-technique to 5-technique) and adds physicality to a D-line group.

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NFL.com

Eagles center Cam Jurgens agrees to four-year, $68 million contract extension

Eagles center Cam Jurgens has agreed to terms on a four-year extension that will put him under contract through the 2029 season, the team announced on Monday. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported the deal is worth $68 million.

The 25-year-old played through nerve pain that initially held him out of the starting lineup in the NFC Championship Game, but entered and finished the contest once teammate Landon Dickerson was forced out due to injury. Jurgens went on to start in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs, playing 91% of the offensive snaps.

Shortly after Philly’s triumph, Jurgens underwent a back procedure to alleviate the issue and is expected to fully recover from the operation in time for training camp in July, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Feb. 20.

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NFL league links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

Inside the Packers’ effort to host and execute the NFL Draft: ‘Green Bay is ready’

Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay has just 12 gates and mainly has direct flights to Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis (there’s one direct flight to Atlanta each day, too). Those cities are home to the Packers’ three divisional opponents. The joke around town is that regular flights into and out of Green Bay are limited to those cities because people only leave or come to Green Bay for Packers games.

With the draft arriving this week, American and United added additional Chicago trips, while Delta added additional trips to Detroit, Minneapolis and Atlanta. American and Delta also added a round-trip non-stop flight to New York and Delta did the same for Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Orlando, Fla.

Once all those people land, there are only about 5,000 hotel rooms in Green Bay and 1,000 homes being rented out in Brown County (those owners had to get certified by villages and the county, hence why the number is public). About half of the 5,000 are blocked off for NFL personnel and vendors. Murphy said hotel capacity has been an issue during the draft process, “so the concept really is just much broader,” he said. “It’s gonna be more of a statewide event.”

There are another roughly 5,000 hotel rooms in Appleton and other lodging options throughout the state that will require attendees from out of state to travel further to the draft than when it was in Las Vegas or Detroit, for example.

“It’s gonna be a driving draft,” Packers vice president of marketing and fan engagement Gabrielle Valdez Dow said. “But I think how people park and walk in, it’ll be great.”

There are no parking garages near Lambeau Field and the draft crowd will fill the stadium’s parking lot, so people who drive will use neighborhood parking — lawns, driveways and streets — or lots owned by local businesses, just like on Packers game days. Those individuals and businesses set their own prices for parking, and the NFL attended two Packers home games last season to see how the neighborhood parking model worked.

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All aTwitter

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