SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: The Washington Commanders select Texas WR Matthew Golden

The Washington Commanders add a fluid WR to their offense

The Washington Commanders are on the clock in the 19th annual SB Nation Community Mock Draft! There was a run on defensive ends before the 29th pick was on the clock, eliminating some of the top defenders on the board. James Pearce Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Mykel Williams went in the three picks before, and Shemar Stewart came off the board at No. 23 to the Green Bay Packers. Trades are allowed in this year’s draft, and the New York Giants took a popular trade down target by trading up with the Vikings at No. 25 to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart.

Nic Scourton was still on the board, but he wasn’t rated as high as the trio of EDGE defenders that went before our pick. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori was also there, and considered, but the value that WR Matthew Golden could bring to the Washington Commanders offense was too good to pass up here. No trades materialized after Dart was off the board, and the BPA pick for Washington is a speedy weapon for Jayden Daniels’ second year and beyond.

The Washington Commanders lost Dyami Brown in free agency, but he has been inconsistent for most of his career. Adam Peters traded for his old friend Deebo Samuel, but he is on the last year of his contract, which was tweaked, but not extended. Terry McLaurin is also in the last year of his second contract with Washington, and he’s expected to get a new deal before the season starts. The rest of the depth chart is a mix of inexperienced youth and recent retiree.

Top remaining players:

Luther Burden, WR, Missouri

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo

Grey Zabel, iOL, North Dakota State

Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M

Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

SB Nation Analysis: The Commanders offense was absolutely humming behind the play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels as they finished the 2024 regular season ranked seventh in the league, including a third-place finish in rushing yards per game. As for the passing attack, they finished 17th, a number they obviously hope to improve on should they end up going with a guy like Golden with their first-round pick.

Golden is a very fluid receiver who can win at all three levels of the field. He competes hard and attacks the ball in the air with a ferocity to make sure he’s the one that ends up coming down with it. If the Commanders are looking for playmakers who can shine in the biggest moments — maybe like in the NFC Championship game? — then Golden is a phenomenal pick. His best four-game stretch was the final four games of his Texas career, including the SEC title game and College Football Playoff.

There are betting odds available for the draft and they will be posted on FanDuel when they go live. The Washington Commanders front office has stated multiple times that they are open to anything in this year’s draft, including trading up, down, and sticking at their picks. Adam Peters is looking for value in any transaction, and Matthew Golden fits that description at No. 29 overall.