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

0:00The 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 for Commanders on SI. 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.

1:00Part 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.

2:00We 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

3:03came 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.

4:07So 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.

5:09We 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

6:12who 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

7:14run by Oregon tight end, Kenyan Sadik, that's coming up next on today's episode of Lockdown Commanders part of the Lockdown podcast network your team every day. And today's episode of Lockdown Commanders brought to you in part by Fandall college basketball is non stop big games tight spreads momentum swings every single night from early tip-offs to late night west coast shootouts. There is always action on the board and now Fandall is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball part lay profit boost. You build any college hoops part lay you want rivalry games ranked matchups, whatever fits your thought process you can do you can mix the spreads totals player props match how you see the slate playing out then you can apply the profit boost and instantly bump up the potential payout look around the odds see what you like see how you can stack them and then go for whatever you're feeling like you can go for during all of the madness that's about to happen go safe go bold ride with the team you've been following all season

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9:16at indeed.com slash podcast just go to indeed.com slash podcast right now support the show by saying you heard about indeed on this show indeed.com slash podcast terms and conditions apply need to hire this is a job for indeed sponsored jobs today's episode of locks on commanders also brought to you in part by game time we live in a world where you can stream anything you can order food in minutes you can carry super computers in your pockets but somehow buying tickets to games and events just just stays complicated hidden fees jumping prices and list steps there's got to be a better way and that's why I use the game time app it gives you the advantage makes it take it simple whether it's an NFL game concert comedy whenever you went you're into winter New England area for joint practices last year was able to get tickets for myself my wife my son went to Fenway for the first time in any of our lives saw Red Sox game was really easy to do you got the view from your seat you get all the fees and everything right up front so there's no surprises at checkout really does make it very very easy to taps and you've got great seats locked in fast

10:17easy done take the guesswork out of buying tickets download the game time app create your account use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again create your account redeem the code L O C K E D O N for $20 off download game time today. 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

11:18pair 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

12:21combine 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

13:23that 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

14:23there 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 commanders so you all latest episodes and if you never miss an episode of lots on commanders the

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