The Washington Commanders had an unprecedented run at left tackle for 20 seasons. From 2000 to 2019, Chris Samuels and Trent Williams manned the left tackle position for Washington. Samuels, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2000 NFL draft, made six Pro Bowls in his 10 NFL seasons before retiring in 2010 due to spinal stenosis.
So, in the 2010 NFL draft, former head coach Mike Shanahan chose Williams at No. 4 overall, and he immediately stepped in to replace Samuels. In 10 seasons with Washington (he didn’t play in 2019), Williams made seven Pro Bowls before he was traded in 2020.
Current left tackle Charles Leno Jr. is in his third season with the Commanders. While Leno is a solid veteran tackle, he’s undoubtedly not Williams or Samuels.
With Washington currently one of the worst teams in the NFL, it will likely have a top-five pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. Depending on how high that selection is, the Commanders could entertain taking one of the draft’s top quarterbacks, or Washington could roll with Sam Howell and choose to build around him by finding the next Williams or Samuels.
Enter Olu Fashanu of Penn State.
In a new mock draft from Connor Livesay of The 33rd Team, he has the Commanders selecting Fashanu at No. 4 overall.
The Washington Commanders could consider drafting QB3 here, but adding blue-chip offensive tackle prospect Olu Fashanu is the better decision. The jury is still out as to whether Sam Howell can be the guy, so solidifying his protection and giving him one more year to earn the job makes sense.
Washington’s decision would be easier if Caleb Williams and Drake Maye were gone. There will be some draft analysts who will have Fashanu as the top overall prospect. He’s that good. Fashanu would be an ideal building block for the Commanders moving forward with a new regime expected to take over after the season.
