Adam Peters talks about pick Sonny Styles, Antonio Williams; Jayden Daniels’ offseason

Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters was interviewed by Tom Pelissero and Judy Batista on NFL Network this morning. He talked about draft fatigue and returning to normal life briefly before he gets back to work. Peters said he didn’t get to interact with the guys a lot during Phase 1 of the offseason workouts, but he’s looking forward to seeing the competition in Phases 2 and 3. The team is trying to get back to the magic of 2024, and that meant getting the right players, including one who returned. Peters was asked how he can tell the team is on the right track, and he said it starts with the new coordinators(OC David Blough, DC Daronte Jones), but it all flows through head coach Dan Quinn.

Peters talked about the picks that led up to them selecting Ohio State LB Sonny Styles at No. 7 overall. He said he didn’t know the Cardinals would take Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, but he had a feeling the Titans were in play for Ohio State WR Carnell Tate. That allowed his teammate, LB Arvell Reese to fall to the Giants. Peters wasn’t sure who the Chiefs traded up to #6 for, but he knew there would be several really good players available when they got on the clock. He said LSU CB Mansoor Delane was a good player in his own right, but they were thrilled when Styles was available. He said it was an easy choice, and Styles checked all the boxes.

Antonio Williams was another player that Peters didn’t think would be available when it was their turn to pick. He thought the former Clemson wide receiver would go in the second round, but he happily added him to the team at No. 71 overall. That draft fall has put a chip on Williams’ shoulder which Peters likes. He said again that Williams can play outside and inside, runs NFL-level routes, and can win on the outside. It’s clear Peters thinks Williams can contribute to the offense early and be a versatile piece for Blough to use in his new offense.

Jayden Daniels will benefit from the team drafting Williams, along with RB Kaytron Allen and C Matt Gulbin. Peters also talked about the benefits to the offense of building up the defense. That was a big focus in free agency, and got the team’s top pick. Peters said Daniels is healthy, and working during the offseason with teammates and trainers. He’s healthy and is attacking the offseason as he looks to bounce back from an injury-filled second season.

Sonny Styles:

“Sonny checks all the boxes right away, and just in terms of the person, the football character, the intelligence. Everything you would want off the field. Leadership, you talk about the guys at Ohio State, the coaches, his teammates, they all revere him as a person, as a young man.

And then obviously you see the type of specimen he is. He’s 6-5, he runs a 4.4. He’s an incredible sideline-to-sideline defender. A guy who’s for today’s NFL. He makes the field smaller, he can blitz, he cover, he can tackle, he does everything really well.

So for us it was a pretty easy decision when he was still on the board. The pick was…didn’t have to think to hard when he was still there.“

Picks before No. 7:

“Ya, three was a little bit of a mystery, maybe for guys like me and not someone like you Tom, who knows a lot of that stuff, more than I do. Four was, and we had kind of had an idea that Tate might go four. He was probably going to go somewhere from four to nine based on our research. Then with five and six, when the trade happened really at six, that was the wild card I think for everybody.

And the Chiefs coming up and taking Delane who’s a great player in his own right. But with that happening, that allowed Sonny to fall to us. So we felt really fortunate because we still had a handful of really good players that we could have picked from there. So it just really made the decision easy when Sonny was there.

But it was a little bit of, probably the most intrigue was when Tate went, that pushed Reese down to the Giants and then obviously when the Chiefs came up, we had kind of an idea that might happen, but I didn’t really know who they were coming up to take. And when they came up and they took Delane, we felt really excited and fortunate to get Sonny.“

How do you jump start Jayden Daniels’ progression:

“I think you start with Jayden and he’s already jump started it. He’s had an incredible offseason. He’s really been diligent about working in this offseason. He’s been out in LA, but he’s working with his trainers out there, with his throwing coach, and he’s in great shape. He came back here Phase 1 and he looks great, he feels great, he’s healthy.

So that’s how it starts, and then obviously we spent this whole offseason really surrounding him with players who can help him, and make sure that he doesn’t have to put this team on his shoulders all the time and be Superman.

So we did it both with offense guys, but really a lot with defensive guys in free agency. So we’re really able to fortify our defense, and get, one of our stated goals was to really get younger and faster, and we think we did a really good job with that. And surrounding him with players, not only on his side of the ball, but the guys on the other side of the ball that get him the ball back.”

What stood out about Antonio Williams?:

“Ya Antonio, like you said Tom, I think we’re really fortunate to have him in the 3rd round too, I thought he was going to be a 2nd-round pick like you. And I think a little bit of that is because he played really through an injury all of his 2025 season, but if you go back to his 2024 season he was extremely productive. Really he’s a guy who we look at as a Z and an F so he can play outside and inside. His speed, his play speed, his route running I think is elite for a college player.

So he’s a guy that come in and play right away. He runs NFL routes, he can beat man coverage, and he can win on the outside. He’s almost six feet, and he’s really fast so he can play on the outside, he can win with his route running, he’s got really good hands, he can run after the catch as you can see there, and he’s a really willing block too. So we were thrilled to get him.

We had him in on a 30 visit, we really enjoyed that, and got to know him a little bit better. And he’s got a chip on his shoulder too because he didn’t expect to be there at 71. So he’s coming in with a chip on his shoulder which we like, and we’re really happy to have him.“

What are you looking for as a GM to see if the team is coming together?:

“I think it starts with the two new coordinators, and we’re really thrilled with those guys and the way they’ve come in, and how they’ve implemented everything. Really exciting in terms of both of the schemes and how we’re going to play offense, how we’re going to play defense. So it starts with those guys.

Obviously Coach Quinn has been fantastic like usual when all the players coming back. Just for me, and last week was a little bit of a wash because it was the draft, so I didn’t get a chance to spend too much time with the guys that, when they came in for the first week of the offseason program. But hearing about it, and then being here this week, and seeing the energy. Seeing how much these guys are really competing right away, and you can’t compete at football yet, they’re competing at weight lifting, they’re competing at running. And it’s a really, just a good environment to have.

We had a lot of guys that I think we wanted to reunite and just come back to who we are in terms of competition and our playstyle. We kind of lost that a little bit last year in terms of how we play and our playstyle and who we want as Commanders. So we had a lot of guys who embody that, and we’re seeing that already this week. Really looking forward to wanting to get out on the field. Whether it’s Phase 2 or Phase 3, really seeing those guys compete.”

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