C
Washington Commanders
A franchise passer in Nix headlines a C weekend for the Commanders.
by Big Russ ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 29 picks
· 5 steals
· 17 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on McCallan Castles; the Commanders did not wait, grabbing him 113 spots ahead at Round 6, Pick 43.
Whatever Bo Nix becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. The Ford steal is the beam this whole class leans on. They punted on running back, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
A perfectly average weekend, for better and for worse.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 11 they get their guy under center for the next decade, a steep price for the projection. A real need, handled.
In the Round 1 slot they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value.
In slot 29 they get an anchor for the offensive line. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the 32nd overall pick they get a matchup problem out wide, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Mike Sainristil in pick 36 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A wild overpay on Patrick Paul in the 64th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They went early on Cade Stover in the 67th overall pick, and the value did not follow. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board had cheaper options than Jonah Elliss at pick 73, and it noticed. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Brandon Dorlus slid further than he should have, and slot 99 is lovely value for the edge rusher. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Johnny Wilson in Round 4, Pick 9 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Good price on Cedric Gray in No. 123, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Tyler Davis in the Round 4 slot is fair value, right on his grade. It fills a real need, too.
They reached into another round for Joe Milton III, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jared Wiley at the 139th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Khristian Boyd at pick No. 143 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Tommy Eichenberg in Round 5, Pick 8 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They read the board right and Nehemiah Pritchett was the payoff at slot 152. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jordan Jefferson at pick 154 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Myles Cole at the 164th pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached a country mile for Justin Eboigbe at the 165th overall pick, and the board is aghast. The roster fit checks out.
They liked Nathan Thomas enough to skip the value, taking him in the Round 6 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Bub Means in No. 196 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A big swing on McCallan Castles at the Round 6 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Anim Dankwah this early at slot 221. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Frank Crum in the 222nd pick, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Kedon Slovis in pick No. 228 is miles ahead of his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They will replay Jaylan Ford at pick 238 for years; that is how good the value is. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Value with a capital V on Trey Taylor in No. 240, a genuine coup. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A slide stopped in the 250th overall pick, with Ryan Watts worth more than the price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.