B+
Washington Commanders
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Commanders a B+.
by mwilliams ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 21 picks
· 7 steals
· 6 reaches
The Commanders torched the value chart for Ben Sinnott, taking him 41 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted. The bottom line is a respectable B+.
The Melton pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class.
The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The Commanders indulged a want in Eichenberg while a need in interior defensive lineman stayed open.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 8 they get a long-term starter on the line. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick No. 27 they get a cornerstone up front at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
By-the-book stuff, Kamren Kinchens at the 35th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
No drama and no debate, Chop Robinson went about where he belonged in pick 36. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Keon Coleman slid further than he should have, and slot 40 is lovely value for the wide receiver. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
J.J. McCarthy at No. 43 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Adisa Isaac in pick No. 49 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A need, and now a little less of one.
They jumped the gun on Cooper Beebe, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A tidy bit of business in Round 3, Pick 5, where Chris Braswell graded well above the range. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Junior Colson in slot 100, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They reached into another round for Ben Sinnott, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They took Ray Davis at par in the 104th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Mohamed Kamara at pick 105 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Tommy Eichenberg adds a linebacker and leaves interior defensive lineman untouched.
A cornerback of that caliber at pick 141 is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Theo Johnson in slot 145 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They let Kamal Hadden come to them and pounced at pick No. 151. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A straight-up fair deal on Curtis Jacobs at the 181st overall pick, value and slot in agreement. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Taking Javon Baker in the 201st pick is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They barely believed it either: Jared Wiley still on the board at No. 223. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Chad Lindberg. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.