B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders bet the future on McCarthy. The board says B-.
by Phoenxrr ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 0 steals
· 7 reaches
The search is over. The Commanders handed the keys to J.J. McCarthy, and the whole operation now runs on his development.
The Hartman reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They left with wide receiver solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
Spend now, pay later; the math only works if this class delivers.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but tight end.
Pick-by-Pick
J.J. McCarthy at No. 11 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Adonai Mitchell in the 36th overall pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Cooper Beebe at Round 2, Pick 8 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on T'Vondre Sweat. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They took Chris Braswell at par in pick 45, which is nothing to complain about. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A premium they did not need to pay, Renardo Green a notch or two before his time. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Dominick Puni in the 77th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Kris Abrams-Draine in pick No. 78 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Malik Washington in Round 3, Pick 37 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reach for Javon Foster in the 108th overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jaylin Simpson at pick No. 129 is a conviction pick that outran the value. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Mason McCormick at No. 139 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A reach on Dwight McGlothern in slot 152; the board had better options right there. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Sam Hartman at the 222nd pick, and the board did not agree. It fills a real need, too.