A-
Washington Commanders
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Commanders a A-.
by bshea ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
There is conviction, and then there is this. The Commanders took Joe Milton III a full 62 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. Little to argue with here, and the A- says so.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up.
Few war rooms will sleep better than this one tonight.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 27 they get protection for the quarterback at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Nice patience on Graham Barton, who had no business lasting to No. 36. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Chris Braswell at the 50th overall pick is the proof. It fills a real need, too.
They took Kingsley Suamataia at par in Round 2, Pick 21, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A tidy bit of business in pick 61, where Adisa Isaac graded well above the range. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Xavier Legette in the 67th pick is fair value, right on his grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Cooper Beebe in pick 71 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They paid up for Khyree Jackson at Round 3, Pick 9 when waiting would have done the job. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Blake Corum at slot 84 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Leonard Taylor III at pick No. 101 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the interior defensive lineman. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A conviction pick on James Williams at the Round 4 slot that the board grades a round light. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Joe Milton III at No. 136 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The roster fit checks out.
A tidy little value on Ty'Ron Hopper in the 181st pick, a step better than break-even. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Michael Barrett in the 220th overall pick. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.