A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders answered their biggest question with Daniels. Grade: A-.
by Morris ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The Commanders spent the pick that matters most on Jayden Daniels, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. The board rewarded a patient, disciplined weekend with a A-.
If Jones pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. That Cooper pick is the receipt they will wave around later.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
The kind of weekend a front office frames and hangs on the wall.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 6 they get a long-term answer under center. A real need, handled.
In the 22nd pick they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Nice patience on Troy Fautanu, who had no business lasting to Round 2, Pick 8. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A quiet steal in pick 47: Keon Coleman for less than the market said. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Edgerrin Cooper in No. 67 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
No edge and no loss on Bralen Trice in pick No. 68; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.
Trey Benson in the Round 3 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. The roster fit checks out.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Christian Jones in the 101st overall pick, miles early. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They will replay Cade Stover at pick No. 106 for years; that is how good the value is. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board had Josh Newton higher than the Round 5 slot, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Malik Mustapha is a better player than Round 5, Pick 26 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Tanor Bortolini this early at the 188th overall pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.