ASHBURN, Va. — The scouting circus in Indianapolis packed its bags, leaving the Washington Commanders with a glaring reality check. A single high-profile draft pick will not fix a defense that routinely bled yardage throughout the 2025 season. General manager Adam Peters holds four Day 3 draft picks. He has to hit on them. The margin for error is zero.
While fans obsess over top-tier prospects like Ohio State’s Caleb Downs or Purdue’s Dillon Thieneman, safeties rarely fly off the board in the top 10. If Peters passes on the premium names and looks for value, he will need to dig deeper. Several intriguing back-end defenders skipped the trip to Lucas Oil Stadium entirely. They did not get the invite, but they bring the exact gritty, physical traits Washington desperately needs.
The Under-the-Radar Hitters
New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones demands versatility. He needs players who diagnose quickly and strike hard. Here are three Combine snubs who fit the profile and could upgrade the Commanders’ safety room on a budget.
Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU
Isaiah Nwokobia brings serious experience and a physical edge. Quicker wide receivers occasionally exposed him in man coverage last season, knocking him down a few pegs on national draft boards. But put him in a zone scheme, and he thrives.
He played heavy snaps at deep safety for the Mustangs, but his tape pops when he creeps closer to the line of scrimmage. Nwokobia operates beautifully in the box or as a big slot defender. He lacks elite track speed, but he triggers instantly. He reads the quarterback’s eyes, plants his foot, and attacks the run downhill. If Jones leans heavily into zone coverages that allow the safeties to cheat forward, Nwokobia offers massive late-round value.
Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech
Think back to Hunter Wohler. The Indianapolis Colts grabbed the former Wisconsin standout in the seventh round last year, and he turned heads before an injury cut his 2025 rookie campaign short. Cole Wisniewski brings that exact same energy.
Wisniewski lines up at safety, but he hits like a linebacker. He built that aggressive foundation during his early career at North Dakota State before transferring to Texas Tech. Critics will question his top-end speed and his range in single-high looks. Let them. Wisniewski dominates short zones and wraps up ball carriers securely in the open field.
Jalen Stroman, Notre Dame
The last name rings bells in the DMV. Washington drafted his brother, Greg, in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. Jalen followed his brother’s footsteps to Virginia Tech before transferring to Notre Dame for the 2025 season.
Jalen carries a much sturdier frame than his brother. He possesses legitimate NFL safety size and enough speed to survive in the deep third, though he clearly prefers doing the dirty work in the box. More importantly, he operates as a special teams weapon. The Commanders watched Percy Butler struggle to lock down a role last year. If Peters wants cheap, aggressive production to push the bottom of the roster, Stroman provides an immediate upgrade on the kickoff coverage units with the upside of early-career Jeremy Reaves.
“You don’t build a championship defense strictly in the first round. You build it on Day 3 with the guys who carry a massive chip on their shoulder because they didn’t get the invite to Indy. They play angry, and we need angry.”
— Anonymous AFC Area Scout
Free Agency Window / What’s Next
The franchise tag deadline expires tomorrow, effectively firing the starting gun on the NFL’s offseason frenzy. The Commanders have roughly one week to restructure contracts, execute releases, and map out their spending strategy before pro free agency opens.
Peters has cash to burn. Expect him to aggressively pursue veteran stopgaps in the secondary next week. However, the true test of this front office arrives during the late hours of the 2026 NFL Draft. Since Nwokobia, Wisniewski, and Stroman missed the Combine, their upcoming Pro Days carry massive weight. Washington’s scouts will be watching the stopwatches closely. A fast 40-yard dash on a college campus could easily turn one of these snubs into the newest face in the Commanders’ secondary.