B+
Washington Commanders
Quarterback settled, Maye in the fold, and a B+ for the Commanders.
by Not bad ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Commanders committed. Drake Maye is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
If Eichenberg pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up.
With running back and interior defensive lineman unsolved, spending premium capital on linebacker is the choice that costs them.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 5th pick they get a franchise quarterback. A clean fit for the roster.
In Round 1, Pick 27 they get a weapon on the perimeter at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A tidy little value on Jackson Powers-Johnson in pick No. 35, a step better than break-even. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at the 36th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No edge and no loss on Cooper Beebe in No. 40; it is a wash and a sensible one. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A straight-up fair deal on Kiran Amegadjie at slot 67, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Devontez Walker in the Round 3 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Good price on Khyree Jackson in pick 100, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A reach on Cedric Gray in the Round 4 slot; the board had better options right there. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Tommy Eichenberg at linebacker with running back and interior defensive lineman open.
No drama and no debate, Isaiah Adams went about where he belonged in slot 139. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Xavier Thomas in the 152nd overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A big swing on Joe Milton III at No. 180, well ahead of any board in the building. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid a round early for Erick All in Round 6, Pick 18, more than the board wanted. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Caedan Wallace at pick 222 is the proof. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.