A-
Washington Commanders
Larceny in pick No. 246 lands the Commanders a A-, Batty and all.
by Icepak ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 6 steals
· 6 reaches
The Commanders spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Tyler Batty, the No. 219 name on the board, in the 246th overall pick.
Spending an early pick on linebacker with tight end and interior defensive lineman open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Reaching for Wilson left real value on the table behind him.
Bottom line, with JC Latham leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
JC Latham in Round 1, Pick 25 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Bo Nix at slot 36 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A wide receiver of that caliber at No. 39 is the definition of value, full stop. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jack Sawyer in the 57th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. The roster fit checks out.
They paid up for Zak Zinter at the 71st overall pick when waiting would have done the job. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Payton Wilson at pick No. 80 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A minor need, but a need all the same.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went linebacker with Junior Colson while clear needs at tight end and interior defensive lineman sat open.
Nothing to complain about; Matt Goncalves went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A slide stopped in pick 144, with Cade Stover worth more than the price. Need-wise, a curious use of the pick.
They liked Cam Hart enough to skip the value, taking him in the Round 5 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Steve Linton at the 185th overall pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No drama and no debate, Rasheen Ali went about where he belonged in slot 228. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A conviction pick on Eric Gentry at Round 7, Pick 17 that the board grades a round light. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Somehow Tyler Batty was still sitting there in the 246th pick, and they pounced on premier edge rusher value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.