The Washington Commanders have been the NFL's doormat for a few decades, but their fortunes turned in 2024 when they were surprise participants in the NFC Championship Game, so it was interesting to see how they'd approach their offseason.
It's a gorgeous day outside, and the Commanders made the fewest picks in the NFC East, so let's start with them.
• Round 1, Pick 29: Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon: The Commanders were expected to add to their defense in the first round, but they somewhat surprisingly selected Oregon OT Josh Conerly, an athletic tackle who performed well at the Combine, as expected:
Conerly is an asset on second-level blocks and down the field on screens. He can mirror and match in pass pro, and his claim to fame in 2024 was a good performance against Abdul Carter. Highlight reel here:
However, the knock on Conerly is that he is susceptible to power rushers, and he gave me some Andre Dillard vibes on that front. He has also never played RT, so he is going to have to rewire his brain and learn how to pass set on the other side. That can be easier said than done. Some guys can do it, piece of cake. Others, like Dillard, could not. Conerly got some reps at RT at the Senior Bowl, and he had an embarrassing moment against Marshall's Mike Green (video via @NFL_DF):
That's a guy who is uncomfortable reversing his footwork and playing on a side he is not used to playing on. In Washington, he's likely going to have to play on the right side because the Commanders traded for Laremy Tunsil this offseason.
To be determined if that's at RT or RG, as GM Adam Peters said he can play tackle or guard. I don't see the fit at guard, personally, since, again, his weakness is anchoring, but whatever.
In my opinion, Conerly was a Day 2 prospect who had a chance to get pushed up into the first round because of positional importance, which, of course, is what happened. And certainly, I will never criticize a team for prioritizing the offensive line, especially with a star quarterback in place. But he feels a lot like a player who can have some significant growing pains early in his career as he adjusts to the power of NFL linemen and tries to figure out how to play on the right side.
The Commanders aren't a great fit for Conerly, in my opinion, as he would have a better chance to succeed if a team drafted him to play LT.
• Round 2, Pick 61: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss: Amos originally played at Louisiana Lafayette before transferring to Alabama and then again to Ole Miss. He has good length at 6'1, and he is an effective press corner on the outside, with quick feet to mirror and match opposing receivers.
Amos got some late buzz as a possible first-round pick. I didn't see that, but he was good value at pick 61, and certainly the Commanders need more help at corner.
• Round 4, Pick 128: Jaylin Lane, WR, Virginia Tech: Lane is under 5'10, and 191 pounds, but he ran a 4.34 and tested very well at the Combine otherwise:
He has some downfield ability and can make plays after the catch. He can also be used on gadget plays as a runner, and he has some juice as a punt returner. Fun highlight reel:
If you watched that, you can see that Lane mainly operated out of the slot at VT, which makes his fit a little curious with Washington, seeing as their top two receivers — Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel — already play a lot out of the slot, and they drafted a slot receiver in 2024 in Luke McCaffrey. How many slot receivers do they need?
• Round 6, Pick 205: Kain Medrano, LB, UCLA: Medrano is super light at 6'3, 222 and his production left a lot to be desired until his sixth season at UCLA. But… he's an athlete:
Medrano should be a special teams contributor at a minimum, and his athleticism gives him some upside in the regular defense down the road. Reasonable swing to take in the sixth round.
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Arizona: Croskey-Merritt only played in one game at Arizona in 2024 because of eligibility issues, but he was productive at New Mexico in 2023, when he had 189 carries for 1190 yards (6.3 YPC) and 17 TDs. He's a slasher with some home run ability.
I really like this pick. Good value in the seventh round of a loaded running back draft.
Overview
Last year, the Commanders earned a B in free agency, and an A for their draft.
I hate what they have done this offseason. Loaded up with cap space for the second straight offseason, the Commanders had a chance to continue to surround star quarterback Jayden Daniels with long-term pieces with whom he could grow, but the Commanders instead signed, traded for, or re-signed 12 (!) players who are 30+ years of age, plus another 7 players who will turn 30 by the time the Super Bowl is played in February of 2026.
They failed to understand that they can contend for the next decade, and opted to go all-in with a flawed team that probably isn't even in the top four in the NFC, and certainly not the favorite to even win their own division.
Because the Commanders traded a lot of draft picks for aging, declining vets like CB Marshon Lattimore, WR Deebo Samuel, and LT Laremy Tunsil, they only had five picks in 2025, and they'll only have five picks in 2026 as well.
2025: As shown above.
2026:
• Round 1
• Round 3
• Round 5
• Round 6
• Round 7
As for the picks they made, I liked the values for Amos, Medrano, and Croskey-Merritt, but also see odd fits for their top pick, Conerly, and Lane.
They had the worst draft of the four NFC East teams, in opinion.
Grade: C-.
National view
The Commanders received the 19th best draft grades this year, which feels surprisingly high.
🚨 2025 NFL Draft Team Grades
I´ve compiled 24 evaluations of the 2025 NFL draft and totaled the team grades.
Sorted by GPA for all 32 teams. I sorted the 24 evaluations by GPA as well. From left (soft) to right (hard graders).
Thanks to all who give out grades every year! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/HW69yxX702— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) April 28, 2025
The Commanders' free agency period was mostly praised as well, which isn't out of the ordinary when teams add recognizable names.
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