B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders left with their quarterback, and a B- to match.
by Steven S ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 0 steals
· 3 reaches
Start where it matters. The Commanders took Michael Penix Jr. to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one.
They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. They are betting Bethune proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 7 they get their quarterback of the future at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Graham Barton at pick No. 36 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Chris Braswell in No. 38. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
T.J. Tampa in Round 2, Pick 8 is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No drama and no debate, Brenden Rice went about where he belonged in pick 67. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Mohamed Kamara at the Round 3 slot is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The roster fit checks out.
Tykee Smith in the 102nd overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They took Theo Johnson at par in the 141st pick, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jawhar Jordan well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.
Tatum Bethune at the 223rd pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.