A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders found their guy under center in McCarthy: A-.
by Brice ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. J.J. McCarthy is the Commanders' quarterback, full stop. They executed a plan and it shows in the A-.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They will need Thomas to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Trust the process, because this time the process plainly worked.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 6 they get a blindside protector. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the Round 1 slot they get a long-term answer under center, a steep price for the projection. A clean fit for the roster.
In No. 23 they get a difference-maker at receiver at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in slot 34 is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nice patience on Chop Robinson, who had no business lasting to the 36th pick. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jordan Morgan at pick No. 40 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Chris Braswell at pick 47 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid sticker price for Cade Stover in the 67th overall pick, and that is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Somehow Junior Colson was still sitting there in pick No. 78, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A minor itch, scratched.
By-the-book stuff, Zak Zinter at slot 100 squarely in line with his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Will Shipley at the Round 4 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Caelen Carson at the 115th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board had cheaper options than Mason McCormick at pick 129, and it noticed. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Xavier Thomas at No. 139 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tommy Eichenberg at the 152nd pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Ryan Flournoy in Round 7, Pick 2 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.