B+
Washington Commanders
Quarterback settled, Maye in the fold, and a B+ for the Commanders.
by bshea ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
Start where it matters. The Commanders took Drake Maye to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one.
Landing Tampa that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Every board in the league had Wallace lower, and that gap is the story.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 8 they get a long-term answer under center at fair value.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Graham Barton in Round 2, Pick 2. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Cooper DeJean slipping to pick No. 36 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Xavier Legette. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They did well to land Kingsley Suamataia in the 66th overall pick, just ahead of his grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No edge and no loss on Patrick Paul in the 67th pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
T.J. Tampa in slot 71 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at the Round 3 slot is money in the bank, a linebacker taken below his worth. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Khyree Jackson at No. 100 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They jumped the gun on Theo Johnson, taking him earlier than his grade liked. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Braelon Allen slid further than he should have, and the 116th pick is lovely value for the running back. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
By-the-book stuff, Johnny Wilson at Round 4, Pick 18 squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Trevin Wallace in slot 222 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.