Commanders Report Card Compilation Of Analysts Grades On Washington

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 6:52 AM

commanders report card compilation of analysts grades on washington

The Washington Commanders entered the 2025 NFL Draft in unfamiliar territory. Drafting at 29th overall was the lowest draft position the franchise has earned since 2002 when the team selected quarterback Patrick Ramsey. This would be head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters’ second crack at the draft after hitting a homerun second overall just a season ago. The general consensus seems to be that the Commander’s played this one safe. The Ringer’s Chad Kelly writes that the team ‘hit this one right down the fairway’. The grades ranged from a low B- to a perfect A.

Overall, based on the grades from seven different analysts, the Commanders finished the 2025 NFL Draft with a GPA of 3.3. The team’s lone perfect grade came from CBS Sport’s Chris Trapasso. Though the team only had five selections on the weekend, Trapasso awarded the middle three picks individual grades of an A, A+, and A-, respectively. He was a fan of every selection and is sipping the Adam Peters kool-aid. “General manager Adam Peters is rising star in the industry. Two drafts in, that’s safe to say,” Trapasso wrote.

“Conerly was the pruden albeit non-sexy pick in Round 1. Amos has a high floor at boundary corner — a clear need opposite Marshon Lattimore — and Lane is a dynamic slot receiver with 4.34 speed and wiggle post-catch. Croskey-Merritt absolutely has the size, cutting skill and effortless power to be a tremendous seventh-round find at running back.” Pro Football Network awarded an A- for Washington’s efforts. The website approves of the Connerly pick, and believes they may have made the best selection of day two by picking up Ole Miss’ Trey Amos. After finishing last for two consecutive years, the Washington Commanders surged to 11th overall.

The Commanders’ improved rating reflects how meaningful improvements to players’ daily experience can be achieved, even with physical facility limitations. Key to the turnaround was the hiring of Dan Quinn, who finished the season as the No. 1 ranked head coach across the league. Additionally, the team invested in the food program, improving their grade from a D+ to a B+. They also increased the frequency of family events and began providing daycare during home games which boosted their grade for treatment of families, rising from an F- to a B+. The improvement in team travel is notable, with 95% of players reporting comfortable personal space on flights, up from just 50% last year.

The team’s strength coaches deserve special recognition for maintaining an A rating year after year. Despite progress, the facility itself remains a major issue. The building is old and in need of major renovation. Players single out the locker room as the area that needs attention. When asked what the team does best, the most consistent response is clear: they are positively changing the culture—and it shows both in the survey results and on the field. The Washington Commanders were one win away from a Super Bowl appearance last season.

Dan Quinn's team will look to find the necessary reinforcements in the NFL draft to secure that win and one more next season. Jayden Daniels shined in his rookie campaign, solidifying himself as the franchise quarterback in the nation's capital. That reality has made for a busy offseason in Washington. The Commanders have been wheeling and dealing over the past few months, swinging trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. Offense has been the priority thus far, potentially opening the door for defense at the draft. Washington has the luxury of going in whatever direction they want, but pass rusher and defensive back figure to be priorities throughout the event.

Bottom line, the Commanders are entering uncharted territory – the weight of great expectations. Managing Partner Josh Harris has been dedicated to turning the Washington Commanders into a first-class organization, and the investments are paying off. The Commanders received favorable grades in the NFLPA's annual report cards for teams, ranking 11th overall and receiving high grades in categories ranging from their weight room and training staff to team travel, head... Specifically, Dan Quinn and the Atlanta Falcons' Raheem Morris were the only head coaches to receive an "A+" grade, while Harris received an "A" grade from players. "That goes to Josh, honestly, and [general manager] Adam [Peters]," Quinn said of the Commanders' grades while at the NFL Scouting Combine. "There's no gap in between what he [Harris] says and what he does.

And so, to have that type of reflection in a year is really big. We told him how important this was to us. He heard that from the players and then took action on that." The Commanders received at least a "B" in eight categories, including "A" grades for their weight room and strength coaches -- an area that was praised in previous report cards -- in addition to... It is a stark turnaround from last year when they graded with at least a "C" in five categories. The 2024 report card noted "a long list of items with the workplace that continue to be problems, and players expressed that they have grown tired of the deficiencies."

Harris, whose group of partners finalized their purchase of the franchise ahead of the 2022 season, has put in the resources to upgrade the team's facilities based on input from the coaching staff and... On Feb. 27, 2024, They announced significant upgrades to the fan and player experience at Northwest Stadium, bringing target investments at the time to a total of more than $75 million. The Washington Commanders hosted the Detroit Lions on Sunday in a Week 10 matchup that was supposed to be a playoff rematch. The Lions surely were looking forward to enacting revenge on the Commanders, and while they got it with a 44-22 win, it probably wasn't as satisfying against a beat-up Washington team. Given the state of the Commanders' roster, it's really not surprising that they lost.

There are so many injuries on both sides of the ball that it's hard to get any kind of continuity. That said, these are professional football players who should be able to play at the top of their game regardless of who is on the field with them. On this team, the defense especially needs to play better. It was a big loss, but there were a couple of positives. Let's take a look at how we graded each unit's performance in the Commanders' Week 10 loss. The offense actually wasn't terrible in the Commanders' loss.

They put 22 points on the board, Marcus Mariota played well, earning a 133.3 rating and an 82.9 QBR. Treylon Burks was a bright spot, catching three passes for 58 yards, including two in traffic and one downfield, where he created separation. The ground game was essentially nonexistent, with Chris Rodriguez going down with a shoulder injury and Jacory Croskey-Merritt unable to make headway, averaging 2.7 yards per carry. It wasn't a top-tier offensive performance by the Commanders, but it was a clean game with no turnovers. If someone told you that the Washington Commanders would make it all the way to the NFC Championship after finishing 4-13 a year ago, you wouldn't have believed them. However, that's exactly what happened as the Commanders bought into the new setup and blazed themselves a trail to get good as quick as possible.

Because of this, the Commanders received an "A" from Bleacher Report writer Maurice Moton's report cards. READ MORE: Commanders make statement regarding DMV plane crash "Head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels have set the foundation for the franchise's bright future," Moton writes."Like he did with the Atlanta Falcons, Quinn assembled a quality coaching staff that helped expedite... The rookie signal-caller threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions with an impressive 69 percent completion rate and ran for 891 yards and six touchdowns."As Quinn and coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. coached up the defense, Daniels put together jaw-dropping performances that included multiple game-winning drives. With his calm, fearless demeanor, Daniels led the Commanders to two road playoff victories, knocking off the No.

1-seeded Detroit Lions in one of those contests."Washington far exceeded expectations. The Commanders' one-year rebuild opened their Super Bowl window." To see Washington's ratings from 2023, click here. Josh Harris purchased the Washington Commanders in July this past year. The organization received low marks across the board last year, so there is no shortage of issues that need marked improvement after years of neglect. The one bright spot for the club is the players’ ranking of the Commanders strength coaches, with 98% of player respondents saying that they get the best possible individualized plan.

The survey data reveals a long list of items with the workplace that continue to be problems, and players expressed that they have grown tired of the deficiencies. To start, the locker room is small and in desperate need of renovation, with players reporting multiple sewage leaks. The training room is significantly understaffed, with only 52% of players saying they receive an adequate amount of one-on-one treatment time for injury recovery and prevention. Equipment in the weight room and training room was described as below the standards required of a professional sports franchise, and the Commanders are one of seven teams where players believe the club’s facility... When asked what the number one issue respondents want to prioritize for fixing, most players couldn’t come up with just one. Instead, the common answer was the entire facility.

The players understand that the new club ownership didn’t create these current problems, and they are hopeful that the new team ownership is willing to do what it takes to fix them. For the first time in 33 years, the Washington Commanders are headed to the NFC championship game. One year removed from going 4-13, the Commanders won 12 regular-season games and two road playoff games and will face the second-seeded Philadelphia Eagles for the right to play in the Super Bowl. The Commanders and Eagles began playing one another in 1934 but have only met in the postseason once, in a 1990 NFC wild-card game, which Washington won. But before we look ahead to the NFC championship, let's look back at the Commanders' 45-31 divisional-round win over the top-seeded Detroit Lions. It's time for our weekly report card, where we grade the offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff and quarterback Jayden Daniels.

What's not to love about Washington's offensive performance? Jayden Daniels was not sacked. The Commanders rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 299 yards and two more touchdowns. While Washington was only four of 12 on third down, it was bolstered by converting three of four on fourth down. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury had an answer for everything. The Commanders needed to keep scoring and not punt.

While Tress Way did punt — just once — Washington kept scoring. The offense did what it had to do to win the game. A terrific performance. The only reason we aren't giving Washington an A+ here is because it did allow 521 yards of total offense. Sure, some of that yardage came late in the game when Detroit's fate was already decided, but the Commanders had no answer for Jahmyr Gibbs. Lions OC Ben Johnson should've given Gibbs 25-30 touches.

Commanders Report Card Compilation Of Analysts Grades On Washington

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