
Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters reflects on draft strategies, contrasting his approach with that of Bengals' Duke Tobin. The Bengals recently traded their No. 10 draft pick for veteran nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, raising questions about their decision-making.
Mentioned in this story
Washington Commanders fans, I understand many of you are frustrated and questioning the job GM Adam Peters has done in his two NFL drafts. However, Washington fans, how do you think the Commanders' future would be in the hands of Duke Tobin?
Tobin handles the roster and drafts of the Cincinnati Bengals, though his title is actually "Director of Player Personnel." The Bengals were in a very similar situation to the Commanders until Saturday night. The Commanders finished 5-12 and the Bengals 6-11 in 2025. Thus, the Commanders have the No. 7 pick and the Bengals had the No. 10 selection. The Bengals have one of the better quarterbacks in the game, Joe Burrow, as do the Commanders with Jayden Daniels.
The Bengals have had trouble protecting Burrow from taking many hard hits each season. In fact last season, Burrow was only able to play in eight games due to Burrow's injury. It shouldn't be overlooked that in 2020 and 2023 Burrow was only able to play in ten games those seasons due to injury as well.
Saturday night, the Bengals traded their No. 10 selection to the New York Giants for their 340-pound nose tackle, Dexter Lawrence. The Bengals gave up the No. 10 selection in this draft for a nose tackle who was drafted eight years ago!
Get this: the Bengals could have selected one of the several offensive linemen expected to be drafted in the first round at No. 10 to help keep Burrow standing and playing in more games next season. They could have drafted the highest player on their board at No. 10 regardless of position to help their team, and that player would have been on a rookie contract the next four seasons.
The Bengals traded their No. 10 draft pick for veteran nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, which some view as a questionable decision given their needs.
Both teams finished with similar records, with the Commanders at 5-12 and the Bengals at 6-11, highlighting their struggles.
The Washington Commanders currently have Jayden Daniels as their quarterback.
Joe Burrow's injury history is concerning as it has limited his playing time in multiple seasons, impacting the Bengals' performance.


Despite a loss, Arsenal believes they can still win the Premier League title.

The Golden State Warriors face significant uncertainty this offseason, with questions surrounding potential trades and coaching changes. Stephen Curry recently returned from injury but struggled during a meaningless game against the Clippers.

Chris Paul reflects on his legacy while mentoring young NBA talent.

Ranking the top 50 players in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs as the action begins!

Check out Reid's complete 2026 NFL Mock Draft with all 257 picks!
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
But no, Tobin chose to trade that valuable pick to the Giants for a nose tackle that will turn 29 in November and pay him a one-year extension of $28M. This means they will only have Lawrence through the 2028 season, whereas the draft choice would be through the 2029 season, and if you exercise the fifth-year option, he would be with you through the 2030 season.
Fourthly, the Bengals had lost pass-rushing defensive end Trey Hendrickson in free agency. At No. 10, the Bengals could have taken the best defensive player on their board. In Tobin's defense, I get it that the Bengals were 31st in yards surrendered in 2025. Lawrence is a good nose tackle, and I can see a contender picking anywhere from 25-32, considering making such a trade. But what was Tobin doing trading the No. 10 pick overall for a nose tackle?
If he wanted to address losing his top pass rusher, he doesn't know who is going to be still available at No. 10. It could be such defensive prospects as Safety Caleb Downs, DE Rueben Bain Jr, second-rated corner of the class Jermod McCoy, perhaps even the highest rated corner Mansoor Delane.
Surely, no one else was offering the Giants anywhere close to the No. 10 selection for Lawrence. Does Tobin not waiting to see who is available at No. 10, Thursday night, suggest Tobin was impatient and prematurely jumped the gun?
Yes, Commanders fans, several players in the 2024 Commanders draft have not yet had breakout seasons, but neither can they be considered 'busts' either. Thus, is Peters due all the criticism he has received? In addition, don't be upset if he trades back Thursday night, receiving good value in an attempt to rebuild this roster.
Lastly, remember how much worse it was, MUCH worse. Consider Ron Rivera's production from his four FIRST- round selections during his tenure when he had final say on all drafting: Chase Young (2020), Jamin Davis (2021), Jahan Dotson (2022) and Emmanuel Forbes (2023).
Peters' first-round choices Jayden Daniels (No. 2) and Josh Conerly (No. 29) have both already proven to be much better.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Adam Peters would not have made Bengals mistake