A
Washington Commanders
The Commanders answered their biggest question with McCarthy. Grade: A.
by bshea ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 4 steals
· 4 reaches
After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Commanders committed. J.J. McCarthy is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline. Very little went wrong, and the A is earned.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. Getting Turner where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They are betting Cole proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
For all the activity, running back went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Bottom line, with J.J. McCarthy leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 29th pick they get their guy under center for the next decade at fair value.
They robbed the room for Dallas Turner here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Graham Barton in pick No. 40. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Cooper DeJean is a better player than the 41st overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Patrick Paul in slot 67 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Khyree Jackson at Round 3, Pick 25 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 3 slot with a little surplus value in Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Theo Johnson in pick 114 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They paid a round early for Johnny Wilson in slot 116, more than the board wanted. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A slide stopped in No. 139, with Sataoa Laumea worth more than the price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Myles Cole at Round 6, Pick 2 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A conviction pick on Trevin Wallace at pick 222 that the board grades a round light. A minor itch, scratched.
They took Tyler Owens at par in the 249th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.