B-
Washington Commanders
A passer of the future in Maye, and a B-, for the Commanders.
by Big Russ ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 7 reaches
Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Commanders spent Round 7, Pick 2 on McCallan Castles, a name most had 101 spots down the list.
The whole projection now runs through Drake Maye; hit there and everything else looks smarter. Spending an early pick on OLB-EDGE with cornerback, running back and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.
A whole weekend of picks and cornerback is somehow still a want.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 2 they get a franchise quarterback. A real need, handled.
They read the board right and Graham Barton was the payoff at pick 36. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Adisa Isaac in slot 40 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It fills a real need, too.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went OLB-EDGE with Javon Solomon while clear needs at cornerback, running back and other spots sat open.
Johnny Wilson at Round 3, Pick 36 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Cedric Gray well ahead of where he belonged. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Trevor Keegan in slot 138, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A wild overpay on Anim Dankwah in pick 178, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A real head-scratcher, McCallan Castles in the 222nd overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.