B
Washington Commanders
Williams is the Commanders' new face under center. Grade: B.
by Commanders23 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 20 picks
· 12 steals
· 5 reaches
The Commanders spent the pick that matters most on Caleb Williams, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Wease Jr.. Reaching for Nesbit left real value on the table behind him. They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 5th pick they get a long-term answer under center at fair value.
A tidy little value on Troy Fautanu in Round 2, Pick 5, a step better than break-even. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy bit of business in the Round 2 slot, where Patrick Paul graded well above the range. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Denzel Burke at the 69th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Circle this one: Josh Newton at No. 99 is a fall that decides a draft. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Nice patience on Roman Wilson, who had no business lasting to pick No. 100. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
You do not let a wide receiver like Brenden Rice reach slot 107 and blink. They did not. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Blake Fisher in pick 129 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They paid a round early for Cedric Johnson in the 137th overall pick, more than the board wanted. It fills a real need, too.
A big swing on Layden Robinson at the 141st pick, well ahead of any board in the building. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They will replay Khyree Jackson at the Round 5 slot for years; that is how good the value is. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A safety of that caliber at No. 166 is the definition of value, full stop. A minor itch, scratched.
A wild overpay on Michael Barrett in pick No. 172, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
They liked Ben Bywater enough to skip the value, taking him in Round 5, Pick 37. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Bryson Nesbit in pick 178, miles early. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Malik Mustapha at slot 181 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They paid sticker price for Rasheen Ali in Round 6, Pick 21, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.
Christian Jones slipping to pick 198 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They robbed the room for Theo Wease Jr. here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Isaiah Neyor in No. 238, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.