B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders answered their biggest question with Maye. Grade: B-.
by ericsimmonsmecom ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 5 reaches
The Commanders spent the pick that matters most on Drake Maye, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
Leaving wide receiver unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Reaching for Ford left real value on the table behind him.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a long-term answer under center at fair value.
They paid sticker price for Troy Fautanu in slot 36, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid a round early for Chris Braswell in the 37th overall pick, more than the board wanted. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Tyler Guyton at Round 3, Pick 4 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reach on Blake Fisher in No. 100; the board had better options right there. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
AJ Barner at pick 104 is a conviction pick that outran the value. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A big swing on Jaylan Ford at pick No. 141, well ahead of any board in the building. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
They took Ajani Cornelius at par in the 182nd pick, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Joshua Gray in No. 225 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.