2024 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Commanders full 7-round projection in early-February

Round 3, Pick 67: Kalen King, Cornerback, Penn State

In the third round of the draft, the Commanders continue to build out their secondary. They go back to Penn State and select cornerback Kalen King. He is 5-11 and 190 pounds. He was poised to be a first-round pick after 2022, when he had three interceptions, and created an opponent passer rating when targeted of 48.9. In 2023, however, King took a huge step backward, which caused him to fall to the third round. He did not intercept the ball once, and his opponent's passer rating when targeted was 82.4.

King does have good ball-hawking skills and is always around to make a play on the ball. He plays with an edge and a competitiveness. Watching his tape, it feels like he is always around the ball on every play. He does show good route recognition when he's playing zone defense. He does get fooled easily with play-action, and he also exhibits a slow reaction to snap releases. Receivers with good route trees can have success against King.

Round 3, Pick 100: Dominick Puni, Tackle, Kansas

Washington had an array of issues along the offensive line last season. Charles Leno should be back and healthy in 2024, but the other tackle position is up for grabs. The team will look for Kansas Jayhawk Dominick Puni to grab it after taking him in Round 3. He is 6-4 and 323 pounds. He showed incredible versatility at the Senior Bowl and could move to the interior offensive line as well.

During the last two seasons, Puni played 1,593 snaps and did not allow a single sack. He only allowed one quarterback hit over the last two seasons. He played left guard in 2022 and left tackle in 2023. He shows the ability to land big blocks in the run game and get to the second level with ease. His expertise though, is in the passing game. 

Puni does a good job of keeping his feet sliding and uses his strength to push speed rushers around the pocket. He is not easily overpowered, even by some of the larger defensive linemen in college football. He does show some issues going against players who have multiple countermoves. He needs to be more violent with his hands, and aggressive with his strength.