The Athletic's Ben Standig is wrapping up the pre-draft coverage with Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen. Ben begins with a dissertation on groupthink, everyone naming Jayden Daniels as the No. 2 pick and folks unwisely dismissing J.J. McCarthy's candidacy. Then Logan enters (27:45). More on McCarthy (Logan would pick him at 2), Drake Maye, and why we'll both probably land on Daniels. Is this draft for Washington more about '24 or '25? Trading up or back at 36. Logan's TE to watch. More. Ben wraps up the episode with non-Commanders' mock draft notes (1:00.10)

Logan Paulsen returns for final Commanders draft preview

Each week The Athletic's Ben Standig brings you the latest stories surrounding the Washington Commanders and other sports around the D.C. area.

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The Athletic's Ben Standig is here on schedule release night with guests Kevin Sheehan (Team 980) and Grant Paulsen (106.7 The Fan). In part one, the fellas tackled numerous Commanders' topics, including the aforementioned 2024 schedule, drafting Jayden Daniels, and how the new regime handled retooling the roster over the past four months. They also discussed what they're most excited to watch going forward in the non-Daniels division.

The Summit returns: Kevin Sheehan and Grant Paulsen

The Athletic's Ben Standig is here after a soggy day in Ashburn for the start of the Washington Commanders' OTA sessions. Takeaways include Kliff Kinsgbury's approach, Bobby Wagner's impact, Luke McCaffrey's role, and rugged running backs (1:35). Then Ben welcomes ESPN's Molly McGrath for a behind-the-scenes look at draft night from the first person to interview Jayden Daniels after his selection. Molly's fascinating insight includes observations of the QB before and after the big moment, the backstage stage scene, and what happened when the Falcons shockingly took Michael Penix Jr. (25:30).

OTAs begin and ESPN's Molly McGrath

The Athletic's Ben Standig is talking rookie mini-camp and this week's Senate hearing on the RFK site plus all things Commanders with Al Galdi ("The Al Galdi podcast). Ben opens with takeaways on two days of watching Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn's comments on the QB and Washington's OT options (2:20). Then a shift to what's coming up on Capitol Hill and the coincidence with Wednesday's hearing on the RFK site and the t-shirt Quinn wore on Saturday (19:10). Then Al joins for go-with-the-flow kind of banter about the Commanders (25:22)

Jayden Daniels, rookie mini-camp and Capitol Hill

The Athletic's Ben Standig is here talking about the Washington Commanders with NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport and second-round rookie cornerback Mike Sainristill.
After Ben opens with some brief notes, Ian joins the chat (7:10) to discuss how the league views Washington's new regime, whether draft sources saw QB Jayden Daniels closer to Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. They also talked about Adam Peters, what the tight-lipped offseason looked like from a national reporter's seat, and Ian's involvement with a group aiming to limit social media traps for younger kids.
Then Ben welcomes in Sainristill, the No. 50 overall pick in last month's draft (30:45). We learn about the Michigan alum through Dane Brugler's pre-draft evaluation in "The Beast." Sainristil's first-generation upbringing in Boston, strengths (ball-tracking, leadership), weaknesses (limited size) and rookie talent show options.

Ian Rapoport and Mike Sainristil

The Athletic's Ben Standig puts a bow on the Commanders' draft cycle and looks forward with roster and season-long expectations with guests Mike Smeltz (The Athletic) and Trevor Sikkema (PFF). Ben and Mike open the show (1:05) with thoughts on roster winners and losers following the draft. Using Johnny Newton with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. They also got into Cornelius Lucas, WR and CB depth, and tied in breaking Lakers' news with the importance of NFL coaching. Then Trevor enters (54:10) for thoughts on the Jayden Daniels pick, the OT scenario and whether Washington's offseason should have folks thinking about a winning record in 2024.

Logan Paulsen returns for final Commanders draft preview

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