B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders let Smith fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by Duke Daddy ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Commanders watched Brashard Smith slide 136 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
They are betting Jackson proves the room right and everyone else wrong. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through tight end.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but tight end.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 29 they get a problem off the edge. A clean fit for the roster.
They reached into another round for Donovan Jackson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reach for Ozzy Trapilo in slot 80; a little patience would have been rewarded. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Sebastian Castro at the 148th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Nice patience on Antwane Wells Jr., who had no business lasting to the Round 6 slot. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They will replay Jeffrey Bassa at pick No. 238 for years; that is how good the value is. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Brashard Smith at Round 7, Pick 32 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.