A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders fleeced the room on the phones and earned a A-.
by jcc ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Commanders came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close. The board rewarded a patient, disciplined weekend with a A-.
That Turner pick is the receipt they will wave around later. If Stover pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
It is not that Stover is a bad player; it is that the Commanders had louder needs to answer first.
Bottom line, with Taliese Fuaga leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
Taliese Fuaga at Round 1, Pick 8 is a conviction pick that outran the value. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Dallas Turner in the Round 2 slot is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The roster fit checks out.
The board had JT Tuimoloau higher than the 40th pick, and the edge rusher fell to them anyway. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, T.J. Tampa went about where he belonged in pick 43. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in pick No. 67 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Zak Zinter at slot 74 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Cooper Beebe at the 100th overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A want over a need in No. 102: Cade Stover adds a TE-EDGE while tight end, quarterback and other spots keeps waiting.
They liked Moose Muhammad III enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 141. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They took Christian Jones at par in the 181st pick, which is nothing to complain about. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Somehow Curtis Jacobs was still sitting there in pick 223, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.