A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: A-.
by kauffyk22 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 0 steals
· 6 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Commanders fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. Add it all up and it grades out a clean A-.
Every board in the league had Tupuola-Fetui lower, and that gap is the story. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. The Commanders paired the rookies with proven help, Chris Lindstrom leading the way.
Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 7 of 8 of the wish list covered.
In the end it comes back to Tyler Guyton, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
Tyler Guyton at the Round 2 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jackson Powers-Johnson at the 40th overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A tidy little value on Bralen Trice in pick No. 43, a step better than break-even. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They liked Junior Colson enough to skip the value, taking him in pick 67. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They took Blake Corum at par in No. 74, which is nothing to complain about. A need, and now a little less of one.
A real head-scratcher, Malik Washington in Round 3, Pick 37 is miles ahead of his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Khyree Jackson at slot 102 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A conviction pick on Sataoa Laumea at the 109th pick that the board grades a round light. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Jaheim Bell at Round 5, Pick 5, value and slot in agreement. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Zion Tupuola-Fetui in the Round 5 slot, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
AJ Barner in slot 181 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They paid sticker price for Taulia Tagovailoa in pick 223, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.