ELITE Speed: Commanders Could Target Caleb Downs or Mansoor Delane to Transform Defense

The events of backs and tight ends dominated day two of combine drills with some historic

runs and plenty of guys who put themselves on the public radar.

You are Lockdown Commanders, your daily podcast on the Washington Commanders.

Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day.

This is Lockdown Commanders.

Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network.

I am David Harrison, your guy on the ground.

Credential member of the media covering the Washington Commanders for WUSA9, also writing

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And I'm here with you five days a week coming up on today's episode.

We recap what went down with the defensive backs and the tight ends when they took the field

inside Lucas Oil Stadium, including a record setting run by tight end Kenyans.

So, if you can why Mansort, Elaine has locked himself in as the top cornerback in this

year's class.

All of that coming up on today's episode of Lockdown Commanders.

Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day.

We're going to start off with the cornerbacks and the safeties, the defensive backs, defense

back field, elite recovery speed was a theme of the day when they took the field there

inside Lucas Oil Stadium, some physical prototypes that fit the modern NFL defense

and philosophy.

And I think the best fit when you look at these prospects for the Washington Commanders

and we're going regardless of rounds and all that kind of stuff, safety out of all

how they Caleb Downs, when you look at Washington, how they finish near the bottom of the

league in yards per pass attempt, a culture fit I think is very easy to kind of just sniff

out without even sitting in the interview room, you can just kind of tell the Caleb Downs

as a kind of guy that appears to fit the culture high IQ safety and what he was known

as during his time with Ohio State, you can play that Buffalo nickel roll, which is something

that the Washington Commanders historically like to do.

Dronday Jones has used similar types of players as well and could really help stabilize

the secondary.

We expect Juan Martin to get some looks and maybe some different positions.

Will Harris is a veteran who can play back there, really any safety position.

And then of course, Mikey Sanderson with his slot role as well, I think Caleb Downs

would be a great fit.

But then when we look at historic Washington Cumps, we're going to add this little wrinkle

into these episodes, Lorenzo Stiles Jr. DB, out of Ohio State, I think Bobby Mitchell was

kind of an interesting comfort, not because they played the same position because they

didn't, but because Bobby Mitchell was able to come to Washington, transition to a different

position and really have a legendary kind of run doing so Lorenzo Stiles Jr. also a transitioning

player was a wide receiver, transition over to DB and has made really good for has done

really well.

And some areas came into NFL scouting, calm my week as maybe a UDFA late like like seventh

round, maybe late sixth round type of dude, I think he may have put to position himself

much, much earlier than that after his workout.

Once people go back and look at the tape and see where the workout marries with the film.

But let's get to the top prospects of standouts from this group here, Mansor Delane again

came in at a LSU, the top cornerback in this year's class, only solidified himself as

that guy looks like a premier workhorse coming out of the combine, elite footwork in the

W drill.

We'll talk a little bit more about that here and just a little bit very smooth in his transitions.

Right now, PFF has in his like the number 11 player on their big board mid round one,

but he's going to be the first cornerback off the board, maybe not the first DB, but

he's going to be the first cornerback off the board, most polished defensive back in attendance

again, great footwork and recovery speed on display.

Your mod McCoy at a Tennessee also did his thing, ball hockey instincts, Ron display

during the ball tracking drills, another mid first round prospect PFF has him on their

big board right behind the lane and number 12, but again, like I said, I'm pretty sure

it's going to be the lane.

And then McCoy from the cornerback position again, elite ball skills, Avion Terrell at

a closing high end lateral agility on display in Indianapolis, very compact and powerful

back pedal.

If you're able to see those drills, he's the 18th ranked player on the PFF big board.

So another mid first round type of guy pro ready type of corner, Caleb Downs, of course,

comes out as a winner.

He was, I mean, just he's he's one of the most complete players in this year's draft.

If not the most complete players in this draft, a top five prospect PFS number three overall

rating or player and then Lorenzo styles junior, it comes into the combat week 232 on the

PFF big board.

That's seventh round range potential UDFA range, depending on needs are at the end of

the draft.

I think he's firmly into that day three conversation.

I think it's round six is probably where you might see him come off if his pro day and

if people can go back and attach the workouts to the tape, and then you're definitely looking

at a six round reach for him potentially again, former wider receiver, transition to DB.

He's got natural ball skills of Lee athletes ability 6195 pounds past catching again, tracking

all on display.

Most important drill, if you watch the combine drills, most important drill for this position

group just in general called the W drill.

We just kind of talked about it just a little bit really what it does is to test the DBs

and it's basically what sounds like they go out there and they basically draw a W on

the field waiting for their cues.

Things like that test their back pedal test their back foot plants test their ability

to drive down on the ball, all the fundamental moves needed to mirror a receiver, whoever

you're guarding and coverage, and I think the best player on the field in Indianapolis,

Mansort, and Elaine, his transitions were the most fluid of the session again, just kind

of locking himself in as that number one guy and you know, there's conversations of these

guys being really, really close in comparison again, you got a corner back at number 11 on

the big board.

The corner back at number 12, I think the lane definitely kind of gave himself a little

bit of a tie breaker there.

One of the quotes that stood out from the coverage Daniel, Jeremiah, on these styles

brothers, of sunny styles linebacker out of Ohio State.

We talked about him as a winner in our last episode Lorenzo styles junior doing his thing

on the very next day, Daniel, Jeremiah, of the styles brothers quote you have sunny styles

who is a top five pick and then his brother Lorenzo who switched from offense, the athletic

jeans and the family are just off the charts.

Lorenzo gives you that chess piece flexibility in the nickel and quote rich, Eisen, who did

a great job.

I got to give a round of applause to rich, Eisen, who is a Michigan man for giving a lot

of praise to Ohio State and a lot of Ohio State players over the course of the weekend.

Some honorable mentions here, Colton Hood corner back at a tendency.

He is a riser up the board.

I think show great twitch and a lot of the change of direction drills and then we got Dylan

Theaneman safety out of Oregon, a high IQ football player from his time with the ducks showed

off some good things and some drills, but of course ran that 43640 as well.

And then a manual McNeil Warren safety out of Toledo, whatever a small school standout

type of guy moved well in the drills as well, certainly continuing to increase or improve

or secure his stock as a day two.

I've seen some late day one projections for him as an NFL safety.

So that was the DB's group now move on to the tight ends group, including a historic

run by Oregon tight end, Kenyan Sadik, that's coming up next on today's episode of Lockdown

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Continuing with today's episode of lock on commanders thank you for making lots on

commanders your first listener first you today and every day to the every dayers thank

you for coming through for yet another episode the tight end group at the twenty twenty

six NFL scouting combined described by Daniel Jeremiah as quote a really really good group

lot of value to be found as well and quote the session was headline obviously by speed

several players coming through with some really good times none better than Kenyans

a deep the tight end out of the organ ducts program who has to be the best fit for the

Washington mayors in this year's group we expect David blouse offense to thrive through

a tight end that can make catches on the scene said these four three seven speed historic

mark for tight ends at the NFL scouting combined makes him the perfect vertical threat to

pair with J Daniels deep ball and yes a lot of these perfect fits are first round guys

and fortunately you only got one first round pick for the Washington commanders best

commanders comp I think Eli Stowers tie tight end out of Vanderbilt kind of looks like

Logan Thomas converted quarterback explosive athletic traits and understanding of spacing

from that quarterback perceptive perspective certainly gives him a leg up in the in the

receiving department as they tie it in let's go through the top prospects from the workouts

over the weekend of course Kenyans said he could get in the main star of the group four

three seven forty fastest of the day fast of his position historic run all that kind of

stuff Daniel Jeremiah said quote does a lot of the same things and quote as Vernon Davis

but said that he's a better blocker than Vernon Davis and obviously Washington fans

if you've been a Washington fan for a while you're familiar with Vernon Davis from his

time with the franchise was a first round pick back in his day of the San Francisco

forty-nineers currently Kenyans to Deke is number twenty-eighths on the pff bigboard

I have a feeling that's going to change just a little bit coming out of the NFL scouting

combine freaky at just athletic workout really puts him in elite company as far as

tight ends are concerned Eli Stowers used to talk about him out of Vanderbilt former

quarterback who showed explosive athletic traits ran a sub four four forty yard dash and

was really just kind of been impressive as another player who's transitioned from one

position to another and you know Adam Peters seems to like himself a guy who played

one position and then I'll convert it to another would not be the first tight end Colson

Yankoff would be the first at least in this iteration of commander's rosters to be the

converted quarterback turn tight end Eli Stowers would be another one if he ends up with

Washington commanders doesn't seem likely though he is pff number forty eight overall

player round two projection don't think the commanders if they trade into round two I guess

I can't say it wouldn't be for a tight end but it would be a little bit weird depending

what they do in the off season Justin jolly no NC State demonstrated really good hands

fluid movement throughout the gauntlet drills and all those things really like the way

that he moved he is a third round projection number ninety two on the pff bigboard again

just highly consistent in his drills and his workout which you love to see power sharp

out of ls u was a demonstrator for several drills so that kind of showcases his technical

ability and was a very technical type of guy he is a round seven projection undrafted

for agent projection number three forty eight on the pff bigboard again his technical skill

and ability and all that stuff wouldn't hate it see him as a late round pick or a UDFA

if the watch commanders decide to go out there the most important draw they can say

is NFL for the tight end is that forty yard dash that we just talk about again the ability

to get up the seam get into the open space create mismatches for your quarterback do

all these things I think is incredibly important on that vertical speed is going to be important

and look as we just talked about the defense backscroops just incredibly fast so if you're

going to be a tight end that you're about to threaten those db's you're going to have

wheels of your own along with the size obviously the best performance goes Kenyans a deep

there was a quote during the broadcast covers to be exposed to put on the show and watch

him wrong someone with his hands got to somehow has got somehow get matched up and we've

gotten even faster in the NFL at the position down Jeremiah overall on the tight end group

points really really good group and a lot of value we found there's a lot of starters

to be had deep in this draft and quote when honorable mention here from the workouts max

Claire tight end at a Ohio State reliable solid during his time in college I think he kind

of showed that ability to be reliable be solid at the NFL scouting combined as well kind

of locking him in to that day to ballpark that's going to do it for this wrap up and recap

what the db's and the tight ends did on the Lucas oil stadium surface when they got their

opportunity to run their drills the 2026 NFL scouting combined at the next episode on the next

episode of lots on commanders were going to go over the quarterbacks the receivers and the running

backs even more history made so make sure you are subscribed and following along with lots on

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