The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.

Draft season is upon us, and the Washington Commanders have a chance to grab one of the best playmakers in this year's class.

The Commanders' 2025 season did not go as planned following their NFC Championship performance in 2024. A mixture of injuries and overall performance resulted in them finishing with a 5-12 record, including an eight-game losing streak from Weeks 6-14. Head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters promised that changes would be coming, and so far, they have restructured their coaching staff with David Blough and Daronte Jones in as the new offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively. Their next task is to retool the roster, with changes likely coming on both sides of the ball.

The Commanders' first-round pick, which is the No. 7 overall selection this year, will play a critical role in that. There are several positions they could address with the pick, from pass rusher to receiver, but regardless of who they take, there's a good chance that player will be an immediate contributor.

Over the next few months, Commanders.com will highlight one mock draft from a draft expert each week to delve into how that player would fit with Washington. This week, moving over to the defensive side of the ball to break down arguably the best cornerback in the draft.

Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

There's been no shortage of debate on what the Commanders need to address with the No. 7 pick, and most of the discussions have been about adding a top-tier pass rusher, wide receiver or even a safety. Cornerback, however, has not received that attention.

The position could certainly be described as a need on the Commanders' roster. It helps that they signed veterans Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon to provide depth behind ascending young players like Mike Sanristil and Trey Amos, but it was clear last season that the group still needs help after allowing 243 yards per game through the air and the fifth-highest passer rating in the sport.

LSU's Mansoor Delane is considered by most to be the top cornerback in this year's draft class, and after a solid combine performance and an even better pro day, he's starting to put himself in the conversation as a possible target for the Commanders in the first round.

"Quinn prefers big, physical corners in his defense, and yet he's got two vastly undersized corners in the mix right now (Amik Robertson and Mike Sainristil)," Sharp Football Analysis' Ryan McCrystal wrote in his latest mock draft. "Delane isn't huge, but plays with the physical style Quinn appreciates and could be a target, especially if Washington trades down."

Delane put himself more into the national spotlight last week, when he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at LSU's pro day, but the Silver Spring, Maryland, native has long been considered a lock to be taken in the first round. He only played in the SEC for one season -- he spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Virginia Tech -- but he dominated his competition with 13 passes defended, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions. He ranked second in the conference in passes defended and received unanimous All-American and First Team All-SEC honors.

It didn't take long for opposing quarterbacks to get the message: don't throw in Delane's direction. He allowed just 13 receptions for 147 yards and six first downs on 358 pass coverage snaps, according to the team's website. Pro Football Focus notes that he allowed an NFL passer rating of 31.3 when targeted, which ranked second among cornerbacks with at least 350 coverage snaps.

It's that kind of production that convinced ESPN's Matt Miller to pair Delane with the Commanders as the first cornerback taken in his most recent mock draft.

"With Marshon Lattimore and Jonathan Jones departing this offseason, cornerback is high on that list. Washington brought in Amik Robertson to help on the inside, but it needs an elite shutdown corner," Miller wrote. "Delane did that better than anyone in the nation last season."

This is not to say that Delane's 2025 season was a one-time thing. He started 25 games in his final two seasons at Virginia Tech, earning a Third Team All-ACC selection for recording 54 tackles and four interceptions. He was also a 247Sports True Freshman All-American and a conference Honorable Mention.

But Delane's 2025 season shot him up draft boards with many placing him above Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who didn't play last season because of injuries. ESPN's Mel Kiper has Delane ranked behind McCoy at No. 17 on his big board, but he admitted that he was impressed with what he saw from Delane in coverage.

"He is a true technician and demonstrated excellent ball skills, with 27 pass breakups and eight interceptions over his four-year career," Kiper wrote. "He excels in both man and zone coverage, and his 3.3 yards allowed per attempt on throws in his direction was fourth in the nation in 2025."

Delane's size might be one of his only real issues. He measured at just over six feet at the combine but only weighed 187 pounds, which rates as a 4.68 on his Relative Athletic Score. He would not be the first smaller cornerback to be taken in the first round, but there is a wide variance in how they have fared in the NFL over the years. Emmanuel Forbes is improving with the Los Angeles Rams but struggled during his time in Washington, while Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Quinyon Mitchell, which weighed just eight pounds heavier than Delane in the 2024 draft class, is considered by many to be one of the best at his position.

Fortunately for Delane, most analysts are comparing him to the latter because of his aggressiveness, intelligence and ability to track the ball in the air. He's also a willing tackler and can fit in several systems. For a team like the Commanders, who are expected to be more scheme-agnostic, Delane's skill set could be useful.

And NFL.com's Lance Zierlein actually sees a lot of Mitchell in Delane. If that's the case, the Commanders would have a formidable weapon in the secondary if they were to draft him.

"He played through a core muscle injury for much of the 2025 season and still performed at an elite level," Zierlein wrote. "Delane's emergence over the past two years might be indicative of what's to come, as he's shown lockdown potential."