The Commanders grab another player from South Bend, this time on the other side of the ball. They signed Nick Cross in free agency, but the next three safeties on the depth chart (Will Harris, Jeremy Reaves, Quan Martin) are on the final year of their contracts. They didn’t set the world on fire last year, as evidenced by the team’s pathetic pass defense. Washington may have found a rookie starter at pick 187.

Jalen Stroman is 6’0 and 199 pounds and runs a 4.50-second forty. He started five games for the Irish and played in all 12 games for the team. He racked up 37 tackles and broke up two passes in 2025. In the run game, he is all downhill and comes in hard and fast, looking to knock guys out of the game. His ball skills are OK, but he will need improvement at the pro level.

Stroman displays bad footwork, isn’t great at reading plays, and has a hard time covering in man-to-man. He will have to earn his stripes on special teams, but he has the potential to be a hard-hitting starter before the end of the year.