As excitement brews just two days before the much-anticipated 2025 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders' draft board is ready for action! This year, I’m diving deep into a unique approach—melding value with team needs, all wrapped up in a freshly developed, color-coded prospect index chart.

What makes this draft stand out from the rest? It’s being dubbed the "Personal Preference Draft." Unlike previous years filled with "can’t miss" prospects, the 2025 class is brimming with closely matched talents, especially in the first and early second rounds. Teams will need to decide based on what fits their roster best, meaning there might not be a clear-cut best player available.

Draft Focus Areas and Team Needs

Our draft strategy centers around eight crucial positional needs identified for the upcoming season. Although the chart omits several positions like quarterback and tight end, there’s potential for selections in those areas later in the draft—as developmental picks or undrafted free agents.

The chart highlights key players, with blue, green, purple, and orange shades indicating primary targets for rounds one to four. Meanwhile, prospects shaded in red warrant caution, either due to medical or character concerns. However, one standout, Ohio State's offensive tackle Josh Simmons, has largely recovered and isn’t expected to suffer much in terms of draft position.

Commanders' Big Board Breakdown

Here’s a sneak peek at the top candidates for the Commanders' first pick at 29:

1. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan 2. Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas 3. Matthew Golden, WR, Texas 4. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas 5. Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M 6. Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia 7. Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina 8. Jihaad Campbell, LB/EDGE, Alabama 9. Malaki Starks, S, Georgia 10. Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State

After the initial ten, keep an eye on players like Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State) and Donovan Ezeiruaku (EDGE, Boston College) as potential trade-back options into the early-mid second round.

Round 2 and Beyond: Expanding the List

As we gear up for the second pick at 61, here’s an exciting roster of additional prospects to consider:

- Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State - Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas - Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M - J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State - Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State - Many more gems that could reshuffle the team’s depth chart!

And if the Commanders secure a third-round pick? Look out for talents like Dylan Sampson (RB, Tennessee) and Jack Sawyer (EDGE, Ohio State) enhancing the roster.

The Grand Finale: Round 4 Picks!

With the fourth round slated for pick 128, keep tabs on these names who could make a real difference in the roster:

- Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech - Dont’e Thornton, WR, Tennessee - Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas - Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss

These 85 prospects truly represent the heart and soul of the draft plan for the Washington Commanders, setting the stage for an electric draft day filled with possibilities!