A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders bet the future on Maye. The board says A-.
by Meandwarf ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Drake Maye is the Commanders' quarterback, full stop. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A- to cap it.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. Getting Cox where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. If Powers-Johnson pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
The running back spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Bottom line, with Drake Maye leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 4 they get a franchise quarterback at fair value. A real need, handled.
JC Latham in pick 17 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
No drama and no debate, Chris Braswell went about where he belonged in the 42nd overall pick. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Cooper DeJean at slot 66 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jackson Powers-Johnson at the 68th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Good price on Zak Zinter in the Round 3 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A straight-up fair deal on Marshawn Kneeland at Round 4, Pick 2, value and slot in agreement. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jaheim Bell in pick No. 139 is fair value, right on his grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Tre Harris slipping to the 180th pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They paid sticker price for Omar Speights in pick No. 223, and that is fine. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Jaylon Carlies at the Round 7 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They barely believed it either: Marques Cox still on the board at slot 249. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.