C+
Washington Commanders
The Commanders won the night they stopped Higgins from sliding. Grade: C+.
by gormenghast20 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 6 reaches
When a board-topper like Jay Higgins slides to slot 236, you do not overthink it, and the Commanders did not.
The Mesidor pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. That tight end hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Wide receiver was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. Their trades came out a wash either way.
The verdict is a shrug for now, with the swing picks left to write the real ending.
Pick-by-Pick
They reached a country mile for Aireontae Ersery at pick 29, and the board is aghast. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Alfred Collins at the 61st overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They reached into another round for Vernon Broughton, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Dorian Strong well ahead of where he belonged. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jaylin Noel at Round 5, Pick 16 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Thor Griffith at the 224th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The roster fit checks out.
They barely believed it either: Jay Higgins still on the board at pick No. 236. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Steven Parker at slot 247 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Akheem Mesidor in the 252nd pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.