A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders worked the phones like thieves and earned a A-.
by bshea ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
The trade table was a mismatch, and the Commanders were on the right end of it, hauling in a fortune in surplus value.
Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Landing Colson that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. The veteran additions, Quenton Nelson chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.
They will need Powers-Johnson to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
Add it up and this is about as clean as a draft weekend gets.
Pick-by-Pick
No drama and no debate, Troy Fautanu went about where he belonged in the Round 1 slot. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
J.J. McCarthy at the 36th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It fills a real need, too.
A reach for Jackson Powers-Johnson in slot 40; a little patience would have been rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
No edge and no loss on Kingsley Suamataia in pick No. 51; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jonathon Brooks. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid sticker price for Johnny Wilson in Round 3, Pick 3, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A tidy bit of business in pick 82, where Junior Colson graded well above the range. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Khyree Jackson in the 101st pick is fair value, right on his grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Nelson Ceaser at Round 4, Pick 10 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A straight-up fair deal on James Williams at slot 134, value and slot in agreement. A minor itch, scratched.
They took Ben Sinnott at par in No. 138, which is nothing to complain about. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
De'Corian Clark in the 218th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They jumped the gun on Myles Jones, taking him earlier than his grade liked. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.