B+
Washington Commanders
The Commanders turned the phones into found money: B+.
by mriggs6980 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
The Commanders bet big and early on Troy Fautanu, 44 picks ahead of the board. Bold does not always mean right. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The Burke value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The running back spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 9th overall pick they get a blindside protector. The biggest hole, addressed.
Ja'Tavion Sanders slipping to pick 36 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nothing to complain about; Troy Franklin went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They paid sticker price for Barrett Carter in pick No. 71, and that is fine. A minor itch, scratched.
A real head-scratcher, Troy Fautanu in the 73rd pick is miles ahead of his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
The board fumbled Denzel Burke all the way to No. 82, and they scooped it up. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Nice patience on Amarius Mims, who had no business lasting to the 100th pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Zach Frazier in No. 107, miles early. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Tyler Guyton in the Round 5 slot is fair value, right on his grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A tidy bit of business in pick 185, where Gabriel Murphy graded well above the range. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Value said wait; Sam Hartman in slot 228 says they were not listening. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.