Moving back was not an option for the Commanders in Thursday’s 1st round of the NFL draft
Washington Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew spoke of his fondness for trading back in the NFL draft last week.
Last year, the Commanders traded the No. 11 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints for the No. 16 pick and selections in the third and fourth rounds.
When Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the media after Thursday’s first round, Mayhew was asked if he had the option to trade back again this year.
He didn’t.
“No. No, we didn’t get any calls this year,” Mayhew answered. “We got a ton last year, but we didn’t get ’em this year. We discussed that and looked at it. There were a number of guys that we liked. We felt there was a certain distance we could go back and still get one of those guys, but the call didn’t come, and we made the call to get Emmanuel [Forbes].”
There were plenty of trades in the first round, but they all happened in front of Washington inside the top 10 or after the Commanders in the 20s.
Washington entered the 2023 NFL draft with eight selections. Perhaps the Commanders can explore trading back on day two to add more picks.
