A
Washington Commanders
Wilson should have been long gone. The Commanders pounced, and earned a A.
by R ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
The board owed the Commanders one, and it paid up: Payton Wilson, the No. 70 name on the board, sitting there at pick 100 like a gift left on the doorstep.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. If Hartman pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
The Commanders indulged a want in Eichenberg while a need in running back and interior defensive lineman stayed open. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up.
Bottom line, with Jared Verse leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 25 they get a premier pass rusher, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Xavier Legette in the 36th pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Bo Nix in the 40th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It fills a real need, too.
D.J. James in No. 67 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Taking Payton Wilson in the Round 3 slot is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Jaheim Bell at Round 4, Pick 16 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A surprising call. With running back and interior defensive lineman still to address, they spent pick 132 on Tommy Eichenberg, a linebacker they were not short of.
A real head-scratcher, LaDarius Henderson in pick No. 135 is miles ahead of his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A wild overpay on Sam Hartman in the Round 6 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
Isaiah Neyor is a better player than No. 223 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.