The Washington Commanders made no secret of their intentions to improve the offensive line ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. After signing three offensive linemen in free agency, the Commanders added two in the draft, selecting Ricky Stromberg [Arkansas] and Braeden Daniels [Utah] in rounds three and four, respectively.
The Commanders were active in the pre-draft process, interviewing multiple offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, NFL combine and on top 30 visits. Ultimately, once the top four offensive tackles were off the board when they were on the clock at No. 16, it made the decision to choose Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes that much easier.
When the draft was over, Washington quickly prioritized Ole Miss offensive tackle/guard Mason Brooks as an undrafted free agent, giving him $35K guaranteed, second only to the $40K Minnesota gave Army pass rusher Andre Carter.
Therefore, Brooks will have every opportunity to win a spot on Washington’s roster.
Jeff Risdon of Draft Wire recently named Brooks as the Commanders’ UDFA to watch.
The Commanders shelled out a nice bonus to sign Brooks. He’s something of a tweener after playing guard at Ole Miss in 2022 after being the starting right tackle at Western Kentucky in their go-go offense. He moves well enough to serve as an extra tackle/blocking TE while he adapts to being a versatile reserve lineman.
