Locked On NFL Draft - Daily Podcast On The NFL Draft, College Football & The NFL · Locked On Podcast Network, Damian Parson, Keith Sanchez

Mock Draft Monday: Caleb Downs is a HOMERUN Pick for the Commanders

·33 min·2 clips

David Bailey is described as “arguably the most explosive rusher in this class.”

Damian Parson and Keith Sanchez spend the episode inside a post-free-agency mock draft. They start by working through which first-round picks make the most sense once teams have already spent and the board has shifted. Their favorite answer is Caleb Downs to Washington. They call it a home run for the Commanders because the defense gets an important player right away. Keith keeps returning to the bigger team-building point. He argues that quarterbacks get treated like the face of a team, but defenses still need difference-makers who can organize, cover, and hit. The conversation stays in that fit-first lane. Instead of treating the mock like a simple list, they dig into why the selection matters for Washington’s identity after free agency. From there they move into other round-one names. Jake Gauldy becomes the next real point of discussion. They view him as the kind of linebacker who can move around, play different spots, and bring juice to a front seven. The fit is tied to toughness. They talk about a defense that needs more physicality and more players who change how opponents line up. That leads them into a broader front-seven pairing idea. Jake Gauldy and David Bailey together make the conversation feel like roster building, not just prospect ranking. They also keep one eye on upside. The tone stays confident without feeling detached, and the hosts are clearly thinking out loud as they go. The episode keeps circling back to role, culture, and defensive intent. By the end, the mock draft has turned into a larger case for how the right pick can steady a unit before training camp. They close by teasing a return to tight end rankings the next day, which keeps the daily rhythm moving.

As heard by us

A draft discussion that treats defense as a real first-round answer.

The episode follows a post-free agency mock draft where the Washington Commanders land Caleb Downs, and the hosts treat that pick as a clean defensive fit.

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Caleb Downs to Washington gets a defense-first mock draft read.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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