B
Washington Commanders
Grand theft in No. 203: the Commanders steal Bowman Jr. and grade out a B.
by dcdan ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
The board owed the Commanders one, and it paid up: Billy Bowman Jr., the No. 109 name on the board, sitting there at pick 203 like a gift left on the doorstep. A dependable weekend that grades out a B.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped cornerback, which is a strange place to end up. They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the cornerback spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 29 they get an every-down engine for the run game at a price that makes it sweeter. A real need, handled.
They will replay Tyler Warren at the 61st pick for years; that is how good the value is. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jihaad Campbell at pick 79 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A tidy little value on Hayden Conner in the 146th overall pick, a step better than break-even. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Billy Bowman Jr. at No. 203 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Roc Taylor at the Round 7 slot is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jaylen Reed at Round 7, Pick 31 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.