Welcome to the Commanders Today Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Next stop the Draft. The Commanders have just under a month until there on the clock with the eleventh overall pick. Staff writer Zach Selby and Logan Paulson joined the show to take a closer look at who Washington may take in the first round. You're not officially in the month April,
believe it or not. The draft is only a few weeks away, which is wild to me, and that means there's gonna be plenty of mock draft release between now in April twenty eighth, and we're here to get through some of the picks that the analysts are taking the Commanders to go with at eleven, I'm staff freck zac Selby. Here with me is Logan Paulson and cbs Worth, Josh Edwards and Josh let's just get right into it. You had notre Dame Safety Kyle Hamilton fall into the Commanders
at number eleven. So give me your elevator pitch for this gully. Why are you like him? Why do you think he fits into the commander secondary. Yeah, you set it up well there because you said fall to Washington, and I think that's why he is so at this pick. I mean, he's he's a unicorn in the sense that
he's got great size, great speed. I think what's going to draw Ron Rivera to him is just he's a really smart player, accountable on the football field, and I think, you know, having that kind of leadership because we've seen a lot more safeties where the green dot which you you know, you're the commander of the defense. So we've seen a lot of defenses go with the safety as
the guy that's getting everybody in position. And I think Kyle Hamilton just his football instincts, his IQ, his love for the game, his accountability, like all of that kind of stuff is what's going to draw Ron Rivera to him. And of course, says I mentioned, you know, he's got great size, great speed to where he can fulfill a number of roles in the defense. I mean he can play in coverage, he can play downhill and you know, run the alley and make hits in the backfield, all
that kind of stuff. So I think that's kind of what withdraw him to Washington at number eleven. Is so obviously on many people's board, he's the number one prospect, Number one kind of athlete. Is there a reason that you see him kind of having this you know, kind of precipitous slide, you know, miss Houston missing mid three, like anything in particular that that causes this him to luckily fall to the commanders at eleven. Yeah, no question.
I think it's a combination of things. There's been a variety of reports of how he ranted his pro day, some of at him in four evan, which you know, if you watch him on film, that's not really a concern of yours. I think he plays much faster than that, but it is, you know, part of the puzzle. He had an injury this past year that you know he's I don't have access to his medical records, but I'm sure that's something that teams will be diving in through
throughout this process. And then just positional value. A lot of teams don't value taking a safety in the top five or whatever. I mean, we historically have not seen that very often, with the exception of maybe a Jamal Adams, even Derwin James, who was valued. Is that kind of a talent slid into the middle part of the first round.
So I think those are primarily the reasons for you know, why he might be available this point, But that's also why it makes it so appealing, because you know, as I've always been told, you never go broke taking a profit. So he's sitting there at number eleven. Overall, I think it's just a very smart Stavvy pick, And that's something I'm really glad you brought up because everyone talks about
his speed. You know, he he didn't run very well, but what you see on the film that I think is so underrated his ability to anticipate plays and make those dynamic plays in the Secretary, even though like he's a little stiff in the hips, doesn't run maybe as well as people want to think, but that that kind of next level understanding of the game is something that really helps him out. Yeah, I mean, I think that's
an undervalued trait. When you have that awareness, that anticipation, you naturally work a half step quicker than what your opponents are, So you may run a four seven. I don't think he does when he's actually out there on the football field. But when you're able to work a half step quicker and you know you're one step ahead of your opponents, you're working more in the four or five four six range. So again he's just you know, fantastic across the boards. So that awareness I think would
be a great fit for Washington. You've got Cameron Curl, who was a tremendous value in the seventh round. I mean, he's done everything for that Washington defense, but I think Kyle Hamilton is a guy that is more seamlessly fits into that role. Along term for the latest Commander's Draft covers, be sureitude into Washington Football Today weeknights five thirty and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. And while you're at it, follow at Commanders on all social media platforms for the
latest on all the team. Thanks for listening.