B-
Washington Commanders
Daniels is the Commanders' new face under center. Grade: B-.
by mlehew ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Commanders committed. Jayden Daniels is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
They banked enough surplus on Pearsall to cover a lot of smaller sins. With running back and interior defensive lineman unsolved, spending premium capital on DT-EDGE is the choice that costs them.
They will regret leaving running back for another day if the season turns on it. The Randolph Jr. pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the running back spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get their guy under center for the next decade. A real need, handled.
Amarius Mims slipping to the 36th overall pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They went early on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in pick No. 37, and the value did not follow. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A surprising call. With running back and interior defensive lineman still to address, they spent Round 3, Pick 4 on Maason Smith, a DT-EDGE they were not short of.
No drama and no debate, Luke Lachey went about where he belonged in pick 100. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
By-the-book stuff, Cam Hart at the 104th pick squarely in line with his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A straight-up fair deal on Payton Wilson at No. 141, value and slot in agreement. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Keith Randolph Jr. at slot 182 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Ricky Pearsall at pick 225 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.