The Washington Commanders own the 29th pick of the 1st round in the 2025 NFL draft, and general manager Adam Peters has a massive decision to make when they are on the clock.
With only five total picks in the draft, Peters and company might look to trade out of the first round to collect more draft assets, but they could also sit at pick 29 and select a player high on their board. Every year, a prospect falls down the draft boards farther than expected in the first round, and Washington could be the lucky team in 2025 to land the value player. Here's a look at five prospects who could potentially fall to the Commanders at pick 29, and force them to turn a card in instead of accepting calls for a trade back.
1. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
A popular name mentioned as a prospect falling out of the first round is the talented WR out of Missouri, Luther Burden III. After a down season in production, many draft analysts are having doubts about how high Burden III really goes in the 2025 NFL draft. NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah recently released his latest first-round mock draft, and Luther Burden III was a notable name not selected in the 1st round. Burden III tallied only 676 receiving yards in 2024, drastically lower than his 2023 production of 1,212 yards just a season before.
Context matters regarding stats, and the film shows that Luther Burden III can still be a key weapon in an NFL offense. Luther Burden III would be the perfect slot weapon for Kliff Kingsbury's offense with his ability to attack downfield using his ball tracking skills, as well as in the short passing game with his explosiveness and tackle-breaking ability. He's a big play waiting to happen anytime he gets his hands on the ball.
Still a believer in Luther Burden. Feels like too much overthink which is common this time of the year pic.twitter.com/sYytaV58Pq
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 23, 2025
2. James Pearce Jr, EDGE, Tennessee
If the Commanders selected James Pearce Jr. at pick 29, they could check off the best player available and fill a major need. Pearce Jr. has been a name that many have questions about, including what kind of player he can be in the NFL and if he could be a 3-down EDGE for a defense. There are concerns about his frame, his motivation, and his limited snap counts compared to other top pass rushers in the draft.
James Pearce Jr. only played in 464 total defensive snaps in 13 games in 2024, which is drastically lower than other top pass rushers in the draft, such as Abdul Carter (734), Mike Green (719), and Donovan Ezeiruaku (766). Make no mistake about it, though, the 21-year-old EDGE still has a ton of raw speed, athleticism, and the production to match. Pearce Jr. finished with a total of 21 sacks and 71 hurries in the last two seasons, according to PFF, even with a lower snap count. Washington added depth to the defensive end position in free agency, and now it's time to find their difference maker, with James Pearce Jr. being an intriguing option for the Commanders.
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