Washington Commanders

Draft night is about certainty for some teams. For others, it’s about conviction. When the Washington Commanders used a first-round pick on Malik Hartford, they weren’t drafting a finished product — they were drafting a vision.

Hartford entered the draft labeled as an athletic freak. Size, speed, explosiveness — the traits jump off the page and off the tape. What didn’t? Consistency, polish, and high-level football IQ. Washington knew that. And they drafted him anyway.

Because sometimes, the right situation matters more than the scouting report.

Elite Tools, Untapped Potential

Malik Hartford has everything you can’t teach. His range allows him to erase mistakes. His closing speed turns routine plays into momentum swings. At his best, he looks like a difference-maker who can take over games from the backend of the defense.

But like many high-upside prospects, Hartford arrives raw. Reads can be late. Angles aren’t always perfect. His instincts are still catching up to his physical gifts.

That’s the risk Washington accepted — and the opportunity they embraced.

The Missing Piece: Veteran Guidance

Washington didn’t make this pick in a vacuum. Shortly after selecting Hartford, the Commanders made a critical move: bringing in veteran safety Derwin James.

James isn’t just a Pro Bowl-caliber player — he’s a tone-setter, a leader, and one of the smartest defensive backs in football. For a young safety still learning how to process the game at NFL speed, there may not be a better mentor.

This isn’t about turning Hartford into a clone of James. It’s about teaching him:

How to diagnose formations before the snap
When to trust athleticism — and when to rely on discipline
How to prepare like a pro, week after week

Those lessons don’t show up on the stat sheet, but they change careers.

A Development Plan, Not a Gamble

Washington’s front office and coaching staff have made it clear: Hartford isn’t being rushed to be perfect. He’s being developed to be dangerous.

With Derwin James stabilizing the back end, Hartford can grow without being exposed. He can learn in live situations, make mistakes, and refine his game without the pressure of carrying the entire secondary.

That balance — opportunity paired with protection — is what makes this pick a calculated chance, not a blind gamble.

The Long View

First-round picks are judged harshly and quickly. But Hartford’s value won’t be defined in September — it will be defined in December, January, and beyond.

If the athletic traits sharpen into instincts…

If raw talent evolves into controlled aggression…

If mentorship turns flashes into consistency…

The Commanders may have something special.

From Potential to Problem

Malik Hartford represents a philosophy Washington is willing to stand behind: bet on upside, but invest in development.

With Derwin James in the room, in the huddle, and in Hartford’s ear, the Commanders aren’t just hoping for growth — they’re building it.

And if this plan comes together, Washington won’t just have taken a chance in the first round.

They’ll have created a force to be reckoned with on the back end of their defense.

Quartebacks

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Dev	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	THP	SAC	MAC	DAC	TUP	TOR	PAC	BKS
Jayden Daniels	26	6'4"	QB		Strong Arm QB	94	90	91	91	88	92	97	96	93	95	96	94	90
Jalon Daniels	25	6'0"	QB		Scrambler QB	62	84	91	90	90	90	75	79	70	67	74	65	70

Backs

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	AWR	JKM	SPM	SFA	TRK	BCV	CTH	SRR	RBK	IBK	LBK
Jacory Croskey-Merritt	26	5'11"	HB	Elusive Back HB	84	91	95	76	84	67	83	93	88	75	77	90	67	50	36	36	33
Tank Bigsby	26	6'0"	HB	Elusive Back HB	81	92	92	84	86	75	78	87	80	78	85	90	62	56	34	36	31
Jerome Ford	27	5'10"	HB	Elusive Back HB	77	91	92	84	86	73	77	85	74	76	78	81	68	59	41	41	42
Quintrevion Wisner	21	6'0"	HB	Elusive Back HB	70	91	89	90	92	73	68	79	72	72	68	79	65	57	35	28	35

Receivers

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	AWR	JMP	JKM	SPM	SFA	TRK	BCV	CTH	CIT	SPC	SRR	MRR	DRR	RLS	RBK	IBK	LBK
Terry McLaurin	31	6'0"	WR	Deep Threat WR	94	96	91	86	87	67	98	88	89	78	56	50	88	99	95	92	89	93	93	93	50	45	22
Jaylin Lane	25	5'10"	WR	Deep Threat WR	84	94	93	91	90	58	76	90	84	76	60	57	85	92	88	85	80	86	84	86	46	38	24
Rashid Shaheed	29	6'0"	WR	Slot WR	80	93	95	90	91	60	78	87	87	76	35	41	88	86	79	80	76	78	86	66	39	31	16
Eric Rivers	25	5'11"	WR	Deep Threat WR	75	92	91	89	89	53	75	91	77	71	54	50	73	85	85	81	74	77	75	74	64	41	26
Luke McCaffrey	26	6'2"	WR	Deep Threat WR	71	90	91	92	90	55	53	86	78	71	46	55	82	83	84	80	75	75	72	67	41	40	29
Quez Watkins	29	6'0"	WR	Deep Threat WR	71	93	94	85	82	41	65	87	75	73	49	36	79	84	78	78	74	73	75	67	41	41	24
Mark Andrews	31	6'5"	TE	Vertical Threat TE	88	85	89	79	72	81	89	92	78	68	81	71	83	89	88	88	81	76	75	82	68	67	49
Luke Schoonmaker	28	6'5"	TE	Vertical Threat TE	73	85	88	89	76	72	67	87	60	56	59	62	74	83	82	80	71	61	53	64	64	66	57
Ben Sinnott	25	6'4"	TE	Vertical Threat TE	72	83	89	88	78	70	68	90	70	67	68	72	76	81	78	78	68	67	55	68	59	62	56

Offensive Line

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	AWR	PBK	RBK	IBK	LBK
Laremy Tunsil	33	6'5"	LT	Pass Protector OL	94	68	67	53	92	95	92	82	94	85
Elijah Pritchett	22	6'6"	LT	Power OL	65	72	74	64	91	71	72	69	78	69
Sam Cosmi	28	6'6"	LG	Pass Protector OL	91	81	72	57	87	92	88	91	87	96
Tytus Howard	31	6'5"	LG	Pass Protector OL	79	68	60	52	85	82	83	74	83	82
Tyler Biadasz	29	6'3"	C	Pass Protector OL	83	66	64	56	85	87	85	86	85	85
Ethan Pocic	32	6'6"	C	Power OL	72	64	56	50	88	75	71	82	83	88
Brandon Coleman	26	6'5"	RG	Power OL	82	77	71	60	85	85	85	85	89	86
Trovon Baugh	22	6'3"	RG	Pass Protector OL	68	68	70	66	93	74	70	77	74	62
Nick Gargiulo	27	6'5"	RG	Power OL	67	72	71	58	87	70	71	70	80	79
Nash Jones	25	6'5"	RG	Power OL	64	68	57	53	87	60	72	71	82	79
Josh Conerly Jr.	23	6'5"	RT	Pass Protector OL	85	80	70	59	82	82	87	85	84	87
Frank Crum	27	6'8"	RT	Power OL	65	79	71	56	86	57	69	74	81	80

Defensive Line

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	AWR	BSH	FMV	PMV	TCK	PWR	PUR	PRC
Keldric Faulk	22	6'6"	LEDGE	Speed Rusher DL	80	77	86	80	72	89	76	85	88	82	82	89	83	75
Eric Watts	26	6'6"	LEDGE	Run Stopper DL	68	83	88	65	58	79	64	79	69	71	76	78	77	65
Tre Smith	24	6'5"	LEDGE	Speed Rusher DL	67	78	86	77	74	81	65	66	75	66	70	88	73	58
Derick Moore	23	6'3"	LEDGE	Speed Rusher DL	66	83	77	88	79	77	61	69	74	60	73	50	74	59
Jer'Zhan Newton	25	6'2"	DT	Run Stopper DL	90	78	82	73	67	85	86	93	91	88	95	91	88	88
Da'Ron Payne	30	6'3"	DT	Run Stopper DL	85	77	81	63	55	95	84	88	75	79	81	77	82	87
Keeshawn Silver	24	6'4"	DT	Power Rusher DL	75	68	82	66	44	92	73	75	70	82	76	88	80	74
Darrell Jackson Jr.	25	6'5"	DT	Power Rusher DL	65	64	72	59	43	91	67	64	64	69	77	87	75	67
Joshua Uche	28	6'3"	REDGE	Speed Rusher DL	74	87	91	83	74	73	63	70	77	67	80	79	79	61
Ethan Downs	24	6'4"	REDGE	Speed Rusher DL	66	83	87	65	63	83	54	68	67	75	76	79	76	53
CJ Madden	23	6'4"	REDGE	Speed Rusher DL	66	85	88	84	76	73	67	65	58	74	67	71	69	68
Enai White	23	6'5"	REDGE	Speed Rusher DL	66	84	89	82	74	68	65	65	72	63	65	75	67	76

Linebackers

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	JMP	AWR	BSH	FMV	PMV	TCK	PWR	PUR	PRC	ZCV	MCV
Kenneth Murray Jr	28	6'2"	WILL	Run Stopper LB	76	87	89	83	74	73	90	82	73	62	51	86	85	83	79	61	60
Ale Kaho	27	6'2"	WILL	Run Stopper LB	66	86	89	82	74	66	80	64	64	50	49	82	78	80	62	66	57
Kain Medrano	26	6'3"	MIKE	Pass Coverage LB	78	90	92	85	80	71	89	74	76	52	49	84	77	81	82	76	64
Rasheem Biles	22	6'1"	MIKE	Pass Coverage LB	72	88	91	83	80	74	82	73	62	58	60	73	87	70	62	81	67
Jordan Magee	26	6'2"	SAM	Run Stopper LB	68	87	91	87	82	64	85	65	69	65	54	79	77	81	68	65	60
Cam Bright	28	6'0"	SAM	Run Stopper LB	64	86	91	74	72	81	85	65	64	52	47	83	80	71	62	48	42

Defensive Backs

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	JMP	AWR	ZCV	MCV	BSH	TCK	PWR	PUR	PRC
Mike Sainristil	26	5'10"	CB	Slot CB	85	90	95	94	94	51	93	78	86	89	43	61	56	81	88
Marshon Lattimore	31	6'0"	CB	Zone CB	84	89	90	89	89	72	90	85	86	83	52	73	69	72	84
Trey Amos	25	6'1"	CB	Man-to-Man CB	83	91	92	83	82	64	87	79	86	87	51	68	50	75	86
Chigozie Anusiem	26	6'1"	CB	Zone CB	66	91	90	82	77	60	89	64	68	62	53	62	68	73	62
Nyzier Fourqurean	24	6'1"	CB	Man-to-Man CB	63	88	90	90	88	65	89	60	66	66	45	44	75	65	57
Anthony Kendall	27	5'10"	CB	Man-to-Man CB	61	91	87	83	80	59	93	53	64	68	39	44	47	73	55
Quan Martin	27	6'0"	FS	Zone S	82	90	97	87	85	61	97	80	84	77	53	75	78	69	82
Malik Hartford	23	6'3"	FS	Hybrid S	68	95	94	89	77	64	93	60	67	67	49	63	65	61	75
Nate Valcarcel	25	6'0"	FS	Hybrid S	63	88	92	87	89	58	83	59	64	62	50	64	76	73	57
Derwin James Jr	31	6'2"	SS	Zone S	90	90	90	88	85	78	90	92	82	82	66	78	87	91	91
Darrick Forrest	28	5'11"	SS	Hybrid S	74	91	93	86	78	67	92	68	72	66	56	75	86	79	71

Special Teams

Name	Age	Hgt	Pos	Arch	OVR	SPD	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	AWR	KPW	KAC	LS
Michael Badgley	32	5'10"	K	Power K	74	72	74	58	53	36	60	95	79	10
Ty Zentner	29	6'2"	P	Power P	66	74	74	65	54	40	49	88	80	10
Seth McLaughlin	26	6'4"	LS	Strong Arm QB	24	63	68	62	58	89	64	15	14	12

Regular Season

Week 1

Offense	Stat	Defense
()	Total Yards	()
()	Pass Yards	()
()	Rush Yards	()

Player	Comp/Att	%	Yards	TDs	INTs	Long	Rating
J.Daniels	541/774	69.9	10640	99	46	94	135.3
J.Daniels	97/144	67.4	1570	14	6	73	118.7
M.Mariota	27/43	62.8	437	5	1	86	126
J.Lane	15/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
D.Samuel Sr	2/1	200	0	0	0	0	158.3
T.McLaurin	9/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
N.Brown	1/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
A.Ekeler	1/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
J.Croskey-Merritt	1/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
E.Rivers	7/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
L.McCaffrey	1/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
Q.Watkins	1/0	0	0	0	0	0	2.1
Totals	703/962	73.1	12647	118	53	94	135.5

Username
Password

	Remember Me Lost your password?

Headlines

Recent Posts

Athletic Freak or First-Round Reach? Inside Washington’s Malik Hartford Decision

Regular Season

Playoffs

Preseason

Regular Season and Playoffs

Preseason

Draft Picks

Players

SUBSCRIBE

Immersion System Help