If it seems like a given that the Washington Commanders will add a high-profile wide receiver in free agency this offseason, the actual product on the field says that might not be necessary.
While the Commanders definitely don’t have another star catching passes behind NFL All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin, what they do have is almost a “Suicide Squad”-level group of pass catchers who do the dirty work and have shown they could eventually grow into bigger roles during an improbably playoff run.
With the Commanders just one win from the Super Bowl — they face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on January 26 — one way the franchise could continue to fill out the ranks in the wide receiver room is through second and third day picks in the 2025 NFL draft.
One player that could fit the bill? The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft has the Commanders projected to select record-setting Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor in the second round (No. 60 overall).
Ayomanor Destroyed Heisman Trophy Winner
Ayomanor jumped onto draft boards with one of the greatest single-game performances for a wide receiver in college football history, and did so matched up against potential No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback Travis Hunter.
In Stanford’s 46-43 double overtime win over Colorado in 2023, Ayomanor led the Cardinal back from a 29-0 deficit by setting a school record with 13 receptions for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. That included a see-it-to-believe-it touchdown catch over Hunter in overtime.
Ayomanor was an All-Pac-12 pick in 2023 with 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and 6 touchdowns and an All-ACC pick in 2024 with 63 receptions for 831 yards and 2 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Alberta, Canada, redshirted in 2022 and left school for the NFL draft with 2 seasons of eligibility remaining following the 2024 season. Stanford went 6-18 during Ayomanor’s time in Palo Alto.
From Bleacher Report’s draft profile: “The Stanford program may not be what it once was under Jim Harbaugh or David Shaw’s early years, but Ayomanor is the type of talent it used to produce through keen evaluation and development.”
Playoff Surge for Commanders Offense
The Commanders’ offense has been hitting on all cylinders in playoff wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions, where they’ve averaged 415.5 yards of total offense over the 2 games.
The biggest surprise in that stretch has been the play of fourth-year wide receiver Dyami Brown. Against the Lions, Brown had 6 receptions for 98 yards and in playoff wins over the Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown has 11 receptions for 187 yards and 1 touchdown and is averaging 17.0 yards per reception.
That comes after Brown had career highs of 30 receptions for 308 yards during the regular season — 1 more reception than Brown had in his first 3 seasons combined.
He’s one example of how varied the Commander’ passing attack has been outside of McLaurin. In 19 games including the regular season and the playoffs, 6 different players have led Washington in receiving: McLaurin 10 times, wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus 3 times, tight end Zach Ertz 2 times, running back Austin Ekeler 2 times and wide receivers Noah Brown and Dyami Brown once each.
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Commanders Projected to Add Record-Setting WR