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    Washington Commanders 7-Round Mock Draft: Malaki Starks Remakes the Secondary

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    In this 2025 NFL Mock Draft, the Washington Commanders add a transformative force in their secondary with Georgia star safety Malaki Starks.

    This 2025 NFL Mock Draft follows Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and the Washington Commanders as they seek to stack successful drafts in 2024 and 2025.

    Most post-draft reviews were glowing for the Commanders in April 2024. Not only did Peters and Quinn get their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, but they also nailed the Day 2 section, with a bevy of talented additions — among them Johnny Newton, Mike Sainristil, Ben Sinnott, and Brandon Coleman.

    It has to translate on the field first, but it’s safe to say things are looking up in the nation’s capital. This 2025 NFL Mock Draft can help drive the point home.

    Who Could the Washington Commanders Draft in 2025?

    1.5) Washington Commanders: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

    The Commanders’ roster is slowly coming together under Dan Quinn and Adam Peters, but the secondary remains an area of concern. Cornerback could be an option here, but with Darrick Forrest entering a contract year, it’s hard to pass up a blue-chip safety in Malaki Starks.

    Starks is the kind of defender who makes an entire secondary better with his presence. At 6’1″, 205 pounds, he has elite explosiveness, range, short-area quickness, and fluidity — tools he can use to play single-high, two-high, or off-man in the slot and make plays from each spot.

    While boundary CB is still a concern with this pick, it’s hard to overstate how fun Washington’s secondary could be with Sainristil in the slot, Starks at free safety, and Jeremy Chinn at strong safety underneath.

    These are fast-flowing, instinctive defenders, and Starks is an elite playmaker who can capitalize on opportunities created by others. In Dan Quinn’s defense, with the talent up front, the sky is truly the limit.

    2.37) Washington Commanders: Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon

    Evan Stewart may be able to help the Commanders right their wrongs after over-drafting Jahan Dotson. Like Dotson, Stewart is a featherweight WR with hyperactive twitch. But unlike Dotson, Stewart is a more fluid separator, with size-defying hand strength.

    KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full 7-Round NFL Mock Draft

    Stewart wasn’t overly productive at Texas A&M, despite being a five-star recruit — but inconsistency at QB played a heavy hand in that. At Oregon, Stewart will have a historic producer at QB in Dillon Gabriel, and he has the traits to thrive.

    As Terry McLaurin gets older, the Commanders may soon need to take another look at their WR grouping as a whole. The addition of Stewart ensures that they never run short on dynamic ability or separation skill.

    3.69) Washington Commanders: J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State

    At 6’5″, 269 pounds, J.T. Tuimoloau fits the Dan Quinn mold at EDGE with his explosiveness and raw power, and he’s a tenacious two-phase defender with a hot motor.

    Tuimoloau doesn’t have great bend capacity, which limits his pass-rush pallet a bit. But his bull-rushes can be overwhelming, and he’s a high-motor run defender with a nose for the football.

    Rounds 4-7

    4.102) Washington Commanders
    Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

    5.134) Washington Commanders
    Joshua Gray, OG, Oregon State

    6.166) Washington Commanders
    Nickolas Martin, LB, Oklahoma State

    7.198) Washington Commanders
    Izavion Miller, OT, Auburn

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