B-
Washington Commanders
A franchise passer in Maye headlines a B- weekend for the Commanders.
by Buck ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 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.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through wide receiver. The Commanders indulged a want in Stover while a need in wide receiver, tight end and other spots stayed open. Suamataia has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
The Stover steal is the beam this whole class leans on.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 2 they get their guy under center for the next decade at fair value. A real need, handled.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Troy Fautanu in the 36th pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Kingsley Suamataia in pick 40 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 67, where Jeremiah Trotter Jr. graded well above the range. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose TE-EDGE. Cade Stover in the 101st overall pick leaves wide receiver, tight end and other spots for later.
A slide stopped in the Round 4 slot, with Bucky Irving worth more than the price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Josh Newton at No. 138 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Johnny Dixon at Round 6, Pick 6 squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They jumped the gun on Keaton Bills, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.