There is conviction, and then there is this. The Commanders took Matthew Jones a full 49 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. The process wobbled, and the D is where it lands.
They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down. Jayden Daniels gives the offense a face and a plan, and the grade leans heavily on whether he hits.
The Gray pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at running back. The running back spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
They banked enough surplus on Simpson to cover a lot of smaller sins.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and running back is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.5
· Pick 5
· Jayden Daniels
· QB
· rank 7
In Round 1, Pick 5 they get the face of the franchise. A clean fit for the roster.
R1.8
· Pick 8
· Brock Bowers
· TE
· rank 6
In the Round 1 slot they get a mismatch in the passing game at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R2.4
· Pick 36
· Tyler Guyton
· OT
· rank 28
A slide stopped in No. 36, with Tyler Guyton worth more than the price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R2.5
· Pick 37
· Adonai Mitchell
· WR
· rank 31
Good price on Adonai Mitchell in pick 37, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R2.8
· Pick 40
· Jordan Morgan
· OT
· rank 37
A tidy little value on Jordan Morgan in the 40th overall pick, a step better than break-even. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R2.22
· Pick 54
· Chris Braswell
· LB-EDGE
· rank 44
Nice patience on Chris Braswell, who had no business lasting to slot 54. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R3.3
· Pick 67
· Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
· LB
· rank 67
No edge and no loss on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in slot 67; it is a wash and a sensible one. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Bralen Trice
· DE-EDGE
· rank 63
Bralen Trice in pick 69 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R3.14
· Pick 78
· Mike Sainristil
· CB
· rank 75
Mike Sainristil at the Round 3 slot is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.22
· Pick 85
· Cedric Gray
· LB
· rank 113
A surprising call. With running back still to address, they spent Round 3, Pick 22 on Cedric Gray, a linebacker they were not short of.
R3.37
· Pick 100
· Mekhi Wingo
· DT
· rank 108
A reach for Mekhi Wingo in the 100th overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R4.9
· Pick 109
· Maason Smith
· DT
· rank 111
No drama and no debate, Maason Smith went about where he belonged in No. 109. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R5.3
· Pick 139
· Trevor Keegan
· OG
· rank 144
Trevor Keegan at the 139th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R5.7
· Pick 143
· Beau Brade
· S
· rank 134
The board had Beau Brade higher than pick No. 143, and the safety fell to them anyway. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R5.16
· Pick 152
· Jaylin Simpson
· CB
· rank 137
Jaylin Simpson in Round 5, Pick 16 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R5.20
· Pick 156
· Joe Milton III
· QB
· rank 200
A real head-scratcher, Joe Milton III in pick No. 156 is miles ahead of his ranking. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.2
· Pick 222
· Matthew Jones
· OG
· rank 271
This one needs a full-page explanation: Matthew Jones in slot 222, miles early. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R7.23
· Pick 243
· Matt Lee
· C
· rank 275
Matt Lee at the 243rd pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
