Mel Kiper Projects Commanders' 1st 3 Picks in Mock Draft

Getty Rutgers cornerback Max Melton.

The Washington Commanders have a franchise-defining decision with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft — one that ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. firmly believes is going in one direction.

Kiper Jr. expanded his mock draft to two rounds on April 10 but stayed put with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall, a move underlined, he wrote, by the team’s trade of their 2023 starting quarterback, Sam Howell, to the Seattle Seahawks in March.

“I’m sticking with Daniels, whom I’ve projected to the Commanders in my three previous mock drafts,” Kiper wrote on April 10. “Why? I have him ranked higher than Drake Maye (North Carolina) and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) and really like his fit in an offense designed by Kliff Kingsbury. … Daniels, who produced more than 15,000 combined passing and rushing yards at Arizona State and LSU, has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl passer.”

Commanders Should Add Depth on Day 2 of NFL Draft

Kiper projected two more picks for the Commanders in the second round, with Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan at No. 36 overall and Rutgers cornerback Max Melton at No. 40 overall. The Commanders have an additional two picks in the third round.

Morgan, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, battled injuries throughout his career at Arizona, including a torn ACL in 2022, but was still a two-time All-Pac-12 selection.

“With Charles Leno Jr. released this offseason, the Commanders have a hole at left tackle,” Kiper wrote. “Morgan started 35 games there in college. His tape is extremely consistent — in both the pass and run games, he rarely blew his assignments.”

Melton was a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten pick and had 8 interceptions over the last three seasons. He also led the FBS with three blocked kicks in 2022. He was suspended for three games in 2021 after he and another cornerback, Chris Long, were arrested and charged with aggravated assault in an incident in which police said they shot three students with a paintball gun. Long and Melton entered “pre-trial intervention as a resolution” in 2022, according to NJ.com.

Melton is also the younger brother of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton.

“(The Commanders) ranked last in the league in passing yards allowed to receivers (3,167) and lost Kendall Fuller in free agency,” Kiper wrote. “Melton was one of my risers after the combine. The four-year starter has the physical traits to be an early contributor.”

Commanders Went Big on Defense in 2023 Draft

The Commanders went big on defense in the 2023 NFL draft, taking defensive backs with their first two picks — Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes in the first round at No. 16 overall and Illinois safety Quan Martin in the second round at No. 47 overall.

Forbes struggled mightily as a rookie and was benched several times. This included an especially painful welcome-to-the-NFL game in which Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown torched Forbes for 9 receptions, 175 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns.

Brown earned an $11,000 fine from the NFL for taunting Forbes after one of the touchdowns.

“It may be too early to call Forbes a bust, but it’s not too early to worry about him,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Nathaniel Marrero. “After a promising start, Forbes struggled mightily down the stretch and got benched around the midway point of the season. He started in six of the 14 games he played in and allowed 27 catches for 598 yards and three touchdowns.”