C+
Washington Commanders
Penix Jr. is the plan now, and the Commanders grade out a C+.
by njclanton ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Michael Penix Jr. is the Commanders' quarterback, full stop.
However the rest shakes out, Jones at that price is a win they earned. Leaving tight end unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
If Michael Penix Jr. and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
No edge and no loss on Michael Penix Jr. in the Round 1 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
In pick 23 they get a cornerstone up front, and a steal at that. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A reach for Edgerrin Cooper in the 36th pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They jumped the gun on Xavier Legette, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Kiran Amegadjie in Round 3, Pick 3. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Renardo Green in the 78th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They paid a round early for Zak Zinter in slot 100, more than the board wanted. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Brennan Jackson at pick No. 139 is money in the bank, a edge rusher taken below his worth. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They robbed the room for Jarrian Jones here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They will replay Blake Watson at pick No. 222 for years; that is how good the value is. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.