ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders continued bolstering their secondary in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night, taking Illinois defensive back Quan Martin with the 47th pick.
They took Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with the 16th selection in the first round.
Martin, whose given name is Jartavius but prefers to go by Quan, was a five-year starter with the Illini and could split his time between safety and nickel back with the Commanders. He made 64 tackles, forced two fumbles and had three interceptions during his final college season.
Washington went with Martin over several offensive linemen available in the middle of the second round. Getting protection for quarterbacks Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett remains a priority for the front office, though signing some linemen in free agency was a step toward doing that.
The Commanders do not have their own third-round pick as a result of the trade 13 months ago with Indianapolis for Carson Wentz, who went 2-5 as the starting quarterback and was released after one season. They got into the third round late at No. 97 as compensation for losing 2020 All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff to Jacksonville in free agency and also have five picks in rounds 4-7 Saturday.