B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders let Higgins fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by gormenghast20 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
When a board-topper like Jay Higgins slides to No. 236, you do not overthink it, and the Commanders did not.
Mesidor has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 29 they get a long-term starter on the line at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
By-the-book stuff, Donovan Ezeiruaku at pick No. 65 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Kyren Lacy slid further than he should have, and the 146th pick is lovely value for the wide receiver. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Cobee Bryant at slot 148 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Ty Hamilton at the 186th overall pick, and the board did not agree. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A real head-scratcher, Jahvaree Ritzie in the Round 6 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Taking Hayden Conner in pick 225 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They will replay Jay Higgins at No. 236 for years; that is how good the value is. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Akheem Mesidor well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.