B+
Washington Commanders
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Commanders a B+.
by dugferd ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Commanders did exactly that with Jordan Travis in No. 103. Good, not great, and the B+ says as much.
Getting Simpson where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. The Russell Wilson deal gives the class an established piece to lean on.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 19 they get an anchor for the offensive line at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Bralen Trice went about where he belonged in No. 36. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A reach for Graham Barton in pick 40; a little patience would have been rewarded. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A straight-up fair deal on Payton Wilson at Round 3, Pick 3, value and slot in agreement. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Johnny Wilson at pick No. 76 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Roman Wilson in the 83rd pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Marshawn Kneeland at pick 101 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jordan Travis at pick No. 103 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Dylan Laube in the 138th pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Javon Baker at the 177th overall pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
You do not let a cornerback like Jaylin Simpson reach slot 181 and blink. They did not. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jared Wiley at the Round 6 slot is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the tight end. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.