The Washington Commanders signed fourth-round pick Braeden Daniels Friday after locking up third-round pick Ricky Stromberg. That leaves Washington’s only unsigned draft picks as first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes and second-round pick Quan Martin.
The 6-foot-4, 294-pound Daniels is expected to begin his NFL career at offensive tackle. The former Utah Ute was a four-year starter in college, first beginning his career at left guard, where he started 14 games in 2019. In 2021, Daniels started three games at left guard before moving over to right tackle and starting 11 games. He was named second-team All-Pac 12 after the season.
Daniels moved to left tackle for his senior season, where he started all 14 games. He earned first-team All-Pac honors for a unit that averaged over 217 yards rushing per game and allowed just 15 sacks as a group.
For his career, Daniels played in 49 games, making 43 starts. Daniels and Stromberg have played a lot of football at a high level, which made them attractive to Washington head coach Ron Rivera who wanted ready-made contributors.
Many project Daniels to inside as a guard at the next level, but Rivera said Daniels will get his first crack at offensive tackle. Charles Leno Jr. and Andrew Wylie are Washington’s projected starters at tackle, and Daniels will compete with Cornelius Lucas and Trent Scott to be the Commanders’ swing tackle in 2023.
