D-
Washington Commanders
A passer of the future in Maye, and a D-, for the Commanders.
by CJ5moker ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 6 steals
· 6 reaches
The Commanders lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. It grades a D-, and the process earned it.
Whatever Drake Maye becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. If Spann-Ford pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Coleman.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
Bottom line, they will be counting on several picks to beat their grades.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 4 they get their guy under center for the next decade. A real need, handled.
In pick 9 they get an anchor for the offensive line at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the 27th overall pick they get a bendy edge with upside, reach and all. A clean fit for the roster.
Good price on Jackson Powers-Johnson in pick No. 35, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Payton Wilson at slot 36 squarely in line with his ranking. A minor itch, scratched.
Braden Fiske in the 40th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Ricky Pearsall in the Round 3 slot. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A conviction pick on Cooper Beebe at No. 67 that the board grades a round light. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Khyree Jackson at pick 71 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
You do not let a wide receiver like Keon Coleman reach the Round 3 slot and blink. They did not. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No drama and no debate, Zak Zinter went about where he belonged in No. 101. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A straight-up fair deal on Will Shipley at the 103rd pick, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They jumped the gun on James Williams, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A quiet steal in slot 123: Maason Smith for less than the market said. Not a spot anyone had flagged, which makes it a head-scratcher.
Johnny Wilson slid further than he should have, and pick No. 137 is lovely value for the wide receiver. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Cedric Gray at Round 5, Pick 2 is money in the bank, a linebacker taken below his worth. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Somehow Mason McCormick was still sitting there in No. 181, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They reached a country mile for Brevyn Spann-Ford at slot 220, and the board is aghast. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.