D+
Washington Commanders
The Commanders bet the future on Penix Jr.. The board says D+.
by klondike ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
The Commanders did not so much draft Edefuan Ulofoshio as overpay for him, 30 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. Hard to defend, and the D+ reflects that.
Whatever Michael Penix Jr. becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. The trade table is where this weekend went wrong.
Leaving tight end unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. On value alone, Gould makes the weekend a net positive.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and tight end is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 5th pick they get a long-term answer under center, reach and all. A real need, handled.
In No. 8 they get a cornerstone up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Jordan Morgan at the Round 2 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A wild overpay on Xavier Worthy in pick 36, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No drama and no debate, Kris Jenkins went about where he belonged in the 43rd overall pick. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Devontez Walker at pick No. 68 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Bralen Trice at pick 69 squarely in line with his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Christian Mahogany. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Fair-plus on Trey Benson, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It fills a real need, too.
Caelen Carson slid further than he should have, and Round 4, Pick 6 is lovely value for the cornerback. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No edge and no loss on Christian Jones in slot 138; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Anthony Gould at the Round 6 slot is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They talked themselves into Edefuan Ulofoshio at the 220th pick, and the board did not agree. A minor need, but a need all the same.