The rest of the league had time to spare on Matthew Jones; the Commanders did not wait, grabbing him 43 spots ahead at Round 7, Pick 2. A weekend to file away and forget, and an F to match.
Drake Maye is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere.
With tight end and running back unsolved, spending premium capital on linebacker is the choice that costs them. A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want.
The Newton pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. They are betting the present roster is worth a lighter draft next spring.
The verdict is harsh because the weekend was, and there is little to argue.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.4
· Pick 4
· Joe Alt
· OT
· rank 4
A straight-up fair deal on Joe Alt at the 4th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R1.8
· Pick 8
· Drake Maye
· QB
· rank 7
Drake Maye at pick 8 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The roster fit checks out.
R1.27
· Pick 27
· Tyler Guyton
· OT
· rank 29
In slot 27 they get protection for the quarterback at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R2.3
· Pick 35
· Cooper DeJean
· CB
· rank 27
Cooper DeJean at pick No. 35 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R2.4
· Pick 36
· Darius Robinson
· DL-EDGE
· rank 39
No drama and no debate, Darius Robinson went about where he belonged in the Round 2 slot. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R2.8
· Pick 40
· Xavier Worthy
· WR
· rank 55
Xavier Worthy in the 40th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R3.3
· Pick 67
· Devontez Walker
· WR
· rank 70
By-the-book stuff, Devontez Walker at No. 67 squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R3.14
· Pick 78
· Payton Wilson
· LB
· rank 57
Somehow Payton Wilson was still sitting there in slot 78, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.37
· Pick 100
· Dominick Puni
· OT
· rank 88
They read the board right and Dominick Puni was the payoff at the 100th pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R4.4
· Pick 104
· Jonah Elliss
· DE-EDGE
· rank 89
A slide stopped in pick 104, with Jonah Elliss worth more than the price. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R4.11
· Pick 111
· Maason Smith
· DT
· rank 110
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Maason Smith. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Tommy Eichenberg
· LB
· rank 145
They bypassed pressing needs at tight end and running back to take Tommy Eichenberg, a linebacker that was not the priority.
R5.3
· Pick 139
· Roger Rosengarten
· OT
· rank 135
A tidy little value on Roger Rosengarten in Round 5, Pick 3, a step better than break-even. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R5.7
· Pick 143
· Josh Newton
· CB
· rank 121
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Josh Newton in the Round 5 slot, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R5.16
· Pick 152
· Kitan Oladapo
· S
· rank 154
Kitan Oladapo in the 152nd pick is fair value, right on his grade. A minor itch, scratched.
R6.10
· Pick 185
· Joe Milton III
· QB
· rank 201
Joe Milton III at pick 185 is a conviction pick that outran the value. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.2
· Pick 222
· Matthew Jones
· OG
· rank 265
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Matthew Jones well ahead of where he belonged. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
