B-
Washington Commanders
Best value of the weekend goes to the Commanders for Smith: B-.
by tuff ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
The board owed the Commanders one, and it paid up: Ainias Smith, the No. 175 name on the board, sitting there at pick No. 228 like a gift left on the doorstep. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
Reaching for Hall left real value on the table behind him. The Trotter Jr. pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with tight end, cornerback and other spots still on the board. The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 7 they get a long-term starter on the line. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A clean, defensible pick in Round 2, Pick 4 with a little surplus value in Edgerrin Cooper. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending No. 39 on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. with tight end, cornerback and other spots unsolved.
They went early on Amarius Mims in pick No. 71, and the value did not follow. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Tyler Davis. It fills a real need, too.
Adisa Isaac at the 107th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Gabe Hall. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They jumped the gun on Miles Frazier, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Ainias Smith at slot 228 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.