Commanders recently met with HBCU star defender
· Yahoo Sports
The Washington Commanders need more help at cornerback. But will general manager Adam Peters use the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on a cornerback? If he did, that would mean the Commanders have selected a cornerback in the first two rounds of the NFL draft in four consecutive years.
While Washington has shown significant interest in LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, a player many believe is the top prospect at the position in this draft class, the Commanders have also evaluated other cornerback prospects expected to go outside the first round.
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One of those cornerbacks is South Carolina State's Jarod Washington. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound prospect was not invited to the 2026 NFL Combine. But make no mistake, Washington is a legit NFL prospect. At his recent pro day, Washington ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds, he told Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated.
That's an impressive number for a 6-foot-2 cornerback. A native of nearby Fredericksburg, Virginia, Washington began his collegiate career at Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina). Another number that stands out about Washington is his 22 pass breakups in 2025. Washington helped lead the Bulldogs to the HBCU national championship.
Washington revealed to Melo that he met with the Commanders at his pro day.
"I met with the New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Commanders at pro day," Washington told Melo. "Some of those teams have been in constant contact with me. I also met with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans on Zoom."
Is Washington a physical press-man corner, or more comfortable in zone?
"I’d say I can play both man and zone coverage," he said. "I’m comfortable with every concept. I’m also versatile enough to play safety. I can play anywhere on the defensive back end. I’m very efficient that way. We played more press-man coverage this past season, especially if I was matched up one-on-one with a receiver. If we had two receivers, we played a two-man read, or Cover 3, Cover 4 match concept."
New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is a former defensive back who made his name in the coaching ranks, coaching defensive backs. Washington could be an intriguing young developmental cornerback for the Commanders sometime on Day 3.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders recently met with HBCU CB Jarod Washington