B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders answered their biggest question with Maye. Grade: B-.
by Buck ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 0 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Commanders spent their marquee pick on Drake Maye, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. For all the activity, running back went untouched, which is hard to explain. The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.
Pick-by-Pick
No drama and no debate, Drake Maye went about where he belonged in slot 2. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They paid sticker price for Ja'Tavion Sanders in Round 2, Pick 4, and that is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They took Kamari Lassiter at par in the 40th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Kiran Amegadjie in the Round 3 slot is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A straight-up fair deal on Austin Booker at the 78th pick, value and slot in agreement. It fills a real need, too.
By-the-book stuff, Zak Zinter at pick 100 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board had Sataoa Laumea higher than No. 139, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jamari Thrash in pick No. 152 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
JD Bertrand at the 222nd overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.