A-
Washington Commanders
A franchise passer in McCarthy headlines a A- weekend for the Commanders.
by MSO ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
The Commanders spent the pick that matters most on J.J. McCarthy, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. The sum of the weekend is a deserved A-.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They banked enough surplus on Devonshire to cover a lot of smaller sins. They are betting Suamataia proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
They punted on running back, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Bottom line, with J.J. McCarthy leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 10th pick they get a long-term answer under center, though the board says they badly overpaid.
A big swing on Kingsley Suamataia at pick 36, well ahead of any board in the building. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
No drama and no debate, Javon Bullard went about where he belonged in the Round 2 slot. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Somehow Cooper Beebe was still sitting there in pick No. 67, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Bralen Trice at Round 3, Pick 4 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the edge rusher. The roster fit checks out.
Dominick Puni at the 72nd overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Michael Hall Jr.. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Theo Johnson in slot 100 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No edge and no loss on Jarrian Jones in slot 137; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Anthony Gould at pick No. 139 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Grayson Murphy at the Round 5 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A need, and now a little less of one.
By-the-book stuff, Ty'Ron Hopper at Round 6, Pick 5 squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
You do not let a cornerback like M.J. Devonshire reach pick 222 and blink. They did not. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.