The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
Another draft is on the horizon, which means the Washington Commanders have another chance to improve their roster and get closer to competing for a championship.
The Commanders put themselves among the best teams in the league last season, going from 4-13 in 2023 to earning an appearance in the NFC Championship in head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters' first year leading the franchise. Although their season ended against the Philadelphia Eagles, they now have a clear foundation for the future with former No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels in the backfield.
Now, the Commanders are picking on the opposite end of the first round with the No. 29 overall selection. They got the most important piece last year with Daniels, but there are still several positions they need to address before the 2025 season begins.
In anticipation of that selection, Commanders.com will highlight one mock draft from a draft expert each week to delve into how that player, or players, would fit with Washington. We're wrapping up this year's series by looking at a mock draft from NFL.com's Marc Ross, who believes the Commanders could take a steal with the 29th overall pick.
JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
The Washington Commanders did plenty to provide short-term answers to their depth issues at defensive end. Their longer-term options, however, are in shorter supply.
The Commanders are starting the 2025 NFL Draft at a significantly different spot compared to a year ago, so getting the top player pass-rushers like Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker or Mykel Williams will not be an option for them. Fortunately, this year's class is deep at the position, so they still have a chance to take a starter or prospect who can fill a heavy workload.
It's one of the reasons Commanders fans should trust general manager Adam Peters, who has shown a knack for finding the right fit for head coach Dan Quinn's culture and schemes. Ross has Peters finding another gem in Tuimoloau to help elevate Washington's reworked pass rush.
"Maybe the most underrated player in this draft class," Ross wrote. "Tuimoloau joins Dan Quinn's defensive front as a hard-nosed and productive talent."
It is understandable why Ross would label Tuimoloau as someone who hasn't gotten the same national attention as some of the other top pass-rush prospects. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is the fourth-ranked defensive end on his big board, and NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah doesn't even have him on his latest prospect rankings. He also opted out of on-field drills at the combine, so there hasn't been much to catch analysts' eyes since the end of his college career.
However, the film shows a player who flashes first-round talent. Tuimoloau relies on his power to make plays, and that approach yielded consistently positive results in the form of 23.5 career sacks and 144 tackles. Tuimoloau had his best performance in 2024, when he set career highs in both categories and forced two fumbles.
And in a year when Ohio State's defense was one of the best in the country, Tuimoloau was one of the Buckeyes' best players. He was a First Team All-Big Ten selection with the third most tackles for loss in the FBS (21.5).
"Rugged edge defender with the size, length and toughness to play up or down in hybrid fronts," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in his draft profile of Tuimoloau. "Tuimoloau plays to his size. His game revolves around power and force. He uses well-timed strikes and good length to stay separated and shed the block cleanly."
But the Commanders don't just need someone who can rush quarterbacks; if they do draft a defensive end in the first round, they must be able to help improve their 30th-ranked rush defense. Although he'll need to improve some technical aspects of his skill set, Tuimoloau has the size (6-foot-4, 265 pounds) to hold up against NFL offensive linemen. His power helps him get off solo blocks, and he's shown an ability to quickly diagnose blocking schemes to put himself in the best position to make a play.
Once again, Tuimoloau's stats show how reliable he was for Ohio State. He received the seventh-best run defense grade from Pro Football Focus and only missed two tackles in 2024. And Tuimoloau knows how to elevate his skill set in the biggest moments, as he had 23 tackles and 6.5 sacks during the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff run.
"JT Tuimoloau projects well as a traditional hand-in-the-ground defensive end in even fronts," wrote Bleacher Report's scouting department. "He has great size and can be a good run defender with his strength and physicality at the point of attack. Setting the edge is fairly easy for him, and he can get off blocks to make plays against the rushing attack."
The biggest criticism for Tuimoloau is that he needs to develop a more robust pass rush to be at his most effective in the NFL. That could take some time, but if he does get drafted by Washington, the team has done enough at the position to prevent him from having too much responsibility as a rookie. He could do what he does best while developing into a player who can handle a larger role in his second year.
Regardless of how long his development takes, Ross believes Tuimoloau could help the Commanders bolster one of their most important positions.
"Filling a big need in Washington, JTT...could start immediately for the Commanders, whose DE depth chart is littered with NFL journeymen," Ross wrote.
