A-
Washington Commanders
Grand theft in pick No. 231: the Commanders steal Proctor and grade out a A-.
by bshea ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 4 steals
· 7 reaches
The Commanders did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Josh Proctor fell into pick No. 231.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. They are betting Williams proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
The veteran additions, Isaac Seumalo chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.
In short, they turned a good board into a better roster, and it shows.
Pick-by-Pick
Xavier Legette at pick No. 36 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They read the board right and Troy Fautanu was the payoff at No. 37. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They took Jackson Powers-Johnson at par in slot 48, which is nothing to complain about. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Graham Barton at the 50th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Edgerrin Cooper in the 54th pick is fair value, right on his grade. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Adisa Isaac at pick 66 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A need, and now a little less of one.
A market-rate linebacker, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Junior Colson. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
No drama and no debate, Cooper Beebe went about where he belonged in Round 3, Pick 7. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A premium they did not need to pay, Leonard Taylor III a notch or two before his time. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
James Williams at the 103rd pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A minor itch, scratched.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Joe Milton III this early at No. 139. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Jaylen Wright in the Round 5 slot says they were not listening. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They went early on Braelon Allen in pick 147, and the value did not follow. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Cam Hart is a better player than Round 5, Pick 16 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A quiet steal in pick No. 220: De'Corian Clark for less than the market said. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reach on Erick All in the 221st overall pick; the board had better options right there. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Josh Proctor at Round 7, Pick 11 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Marcus Harris at pick No. 242 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. The roster fit checks out.