The Washington Commanders have a chance to turn their franchise around with the No. 2 overall pick, but there are eight others the team will use by the end of NFL Draft weekend.
Now that the league has issued all 32 compensatory picks for this year’s draft (plus two special compensatory selections) the Commanders now know they have five picks in the first 100 and six in the first 101.
When Washington traded defensive end Chase Young to the San Francisco it received that team’s special compensatory selection this year in return.
A general view of large Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears helmets at the NFL Scouting Combine Experience at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
That pick, awarded to the 49ers because the Houston Texans hired former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to be their head coach, was projected for much of the offseason to land at No. 101 but was actually set at pick No. 99 due to fewer third-round compensatory picks being awarded than expected.
Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles received compensatory selections at picks No. 96 and 97 respectively, followed by the Los Angeles Rams receiving No. 98 due to former defensive coordinator Raheem Morris being hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, followed by San Francisco which now goes to the Commanders.
Additionally, and earlier actually, Washington also has the No. 40 pick which comes in the second round of the NFL Draft after trading defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears.
The remainder of the Commanders’ nine total picks are all theirs organically beginning with No. 2 in the first round.
From there on the pick Washington owns in each round following will move based on tie-breaker rules after the team tied in final standings with the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals.
While the Commanders select second in the first round they’ll pick fourth in the second while the Cardinals pick third and the Patriots select third.
In the third round, Washington moves to the third pick of that round, the Cardinals to the second, and the Patriots to the fourth.
That rotation will continue throughout the weekend with the Commanders moving back to the second overall spot in the fourth round, their sixth selection in the first 101 picks overall.
