New Orleans sent Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round…
New Orleans sent Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round pick to Washington for third-, fourth- and sixth-round selections. Those picks became Jonas Sanker, Quincy Riley and Devin Neal, and Sanker quickly emerged as a 16-game starting safety with two interceptions in 2025. Lattimore helped Washington during its 2024 NFC Championship run but played only 11 regular-season games for the Commanders through 2025. The younger, multi-player return now favors New Orleans.
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 2025 3rd round pick (93rd overall, Jonas Sanker), 2025 4th round pick (131st overall, Quincy Riley) and 2025 6th round pick (184th overall, Devin Neal )
Washington Commanders Received
- pick Marshon Lattimore and 2025 5th round pick (147th overall subsequently traded, Jordan James)
Trade Analysis
Washington made the trade from a position of unexpected strength. The Commanders were 7-2 in Jayden Daniels’ rookie season and wanted an established outside corner for a playoff push. They sent New Orleans third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 draft for Marshon Lattimore and a fifth-rounder. The Saints, heading in the opposite competitive direction, converted the deal into safety Jonas Sanker, cornerback Quincy Riley and running back Devin Neal.
Lattimore’s first Washington season was delayed by the hamstring injury he carried from New Orleans. He appeared in only two regular-season games for the Commanders, but he did return for the postseason and started all three games of their run to the NFC Championship Game. That matters: Washington bought him for meaningful January football, and he was available when the stakes were highest. His longer-term return was less convincing. In 2025, Lattimore played nine games, making 27 tackles with seven passes defensed and one interception.
New Orleans has already received broader value. Sanker became a major rookie success, starting 16 of 17 games in 2025 and recording roughly 80 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed while earning all-rookie recognition. Riley also contributed in the secondary, and Neal supplied rotational rushing production. The Saints therefore transformed one veteran into multiple inexpensive young players, with Sanker already looking like a potential long-term starter.
The original C/C even grade made sense before the 2025 draft outcomes and rookie season were known. It does not hold up as well now. Washington can reasonably defend the move because Lattimore participated in a deep playoff run, which was the purpose of the acquisition. But availability limited his regular-season impact, while the Saints already have one high-quality starter and two additional contributors.
A B+ for New Orleans and C for Washington reflects that balance: the Commanders got some of the win-now benefit they sought, but the Saints have built the stronger continuing return.