Strengthening The Foundation Grading The Commanders 2025 Nfl Draft Cla

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 6:54 AM

strengthening the foundation grading the commanders 2025 nfl draft cla

The Cinderella story of the 2024 season, the Washington Commanders exceeded all expectations by reaching the NFC Championship Game. However, Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time, putting the pressure on the Commanders to nail the 2025 NFL Draft. Let’s break down and grade each of Washington’s picks. Looking for all 32 teams’ draft grades? Head to our 2025 NFL Draft Grades for All 32 Teams Tracker to see how we’ve graded other drafts. The Commanders didn’t have an abundance of capital in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they used the capital they had fairly well.

Bolstering the offensive line will always be a fruitful move, and Josh Conerly Jr. gives the Commanders both high physical upside and flexibility with the other personnel. Trey Amos was one of the best value additions on Day 2, as he grants Washington early starting ability and schematic versatility. On Day 3, the Commanders only had three selections, but they still managed to add a dynamic playmaker in Jaylin Lane, an athletic coverage linebacker in Kain Medrano, and a potential gem at RB... The Commanders can expect immediate returns from their early-round picks, and the late-rounders have potential, too. It’ll be up to Washington to shuffle their line the right way, but a starting lineup of Tunsil-Coleman-Biadasz-Cosmi-Conerly can dominate the line of scrimmage, and help Jayden Daniels and the offense take yet another...

Adam Peters only had five picks at his disposal heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Almost everyone expected the general manager to move back at some stage to bolster his assets. He opted to stand pat and go with quality over quantity instead. The Washington Commanders put themselves in a fantastic position beforehand. Peters made some bombshell trades, signed veteran free agents ready to win now, and retained almost all of their major contributors from the previous campaign. This provided Peters with a sense of freedom to stick or switch as he saw fit.

Offers came along. Peters resisted, taking prospects high on his draft board who represented better value than accumulating additional wealth. And it was once again another outstanding haul from the front-office leader. The Commanders missed out on filling one critical need, but it's how the board fell. That was the price Peters was willing to pay to find Pro Bowl-caliber performers in the trade market. Now, attention turns to preparing for the upcoming campaign as Washington looks to go one better next time around.

That's for the future. For now, we delved deeper and graded every Commanders pick from another eventful 2025 NFL Draft. The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of the team. Thanks to moves in free agency, Washington went into the 2025 Draft knowing it had the flexibility take best player available or address specific needs. The best-case scenario? Hit both of those with one pick.

That's exactly what happened for the Commanders on Night 1. **With the No. 29 overall pick, Washington selected an exciting young tackle with a ton of upside in Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr.** A two-year starter for the Ducks, the 21-year-old Conerly was considered the "total package" in... He's a "super talented" big man with great athleticism who has proven himself against the best of the best of in college. Just as important to the Commanders brass is what a player is like outside the white lines, and Washington was "really, really impressed" with Conerly the person. The rookie will step into a unit that can take Commanders to the next level in 2025 with Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels behind them and the run game increasingly an important...

Here's how draft pundits graded the move: 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. Immediate draft grades provide a foundation for future evaluations. Waiting three years to assess draft classes without accounting for how the decision was viewed at the time usually leads to revisionist history. These 2025 NFL Draft snap grades reflect the value I think each pick (or set of picks) has, given the slot and the prospect's college film/athleticism scores.

Trades, and the capital exchanged (both picks and players), are factored into these grades, too, as they also play a significant part in determining the future of a franchise. The 2025 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, and we have compiled a consensus ranking using NFL draft grades from a variety of sites. What draft grades have the media given to the Washington Commanders? What are they saying about the Commanders' 2025 draft haul? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); More: See how they compared to last year's grades — 2024 Washington Commanders NFL Draft Grades

The Washington Commanders entered the 2025 NFL Draft with transformation in mind. As Adam Peters steers the front office and Dan Quinn establishes a renewed culture of toughness and precision, Washington sought to plug key roster holes while continuing their ambitious roster makeover. Without a third-round pick, the Commanders had to maximize value with every selection. Their approach showed a smart balance of long-term thinking and short-term impact. It set up a critical season for a team with rising expectations. Heading into the draft, Washington's most urgent need was clear.

They had to replace Dante Fowler Jr. He led the team in 2024 with 10.5 sacks but left in free agency. The lack of a true edge presence put pressure on finding a pass-rushing solution. The secondary, while bolstered by the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore, still needed depth and developmental talent at cornerback and safety. On the offensive side, uncertainty loomed large over the wide receiver room. Four top contributors—including Terry McLaurin and newly acquired Deebo Samuel—are on expiring contracts.

Reinforcements were needed to ensure franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels had weapons beyond 2025. Offensive line depth was also on the radar after investing heavily in Daniels' protection during free agency. Here we'll try to hand out grades for every pick that the Washington Commanders made in the recent 2025 NFL Draft. Protecting Daniels is mission-critical. As such, drafting Josh Conerly Jr was a forward-thinking move. Conerly's stock steadily rose throughout the college season thanks to his elite athleticism, smooth footwork, and increasingly polished technique.

Sure, Washington already boasts veteran tackles in Laremy Tunsil and Brandon Coleman. However, Conerly brings insurance, competition, and a possible heir apparent to a crucial position. Critics might argue that passing on immediate defensive help was a risk. Still, you can't fault the Commanders for investing in the long-term security of their franchise QB. With the growing volatility of offensive line play across the NFL, having three starting-caliber tackles is a luxury most teams would envy. The Commanders struck gold late in the second round with Trey Amos.

He is a physical, aggressive man-to-man corner. Amos perfectly complements Marshon Lattimore's style. He has the instincts to thrive in Quinn’s defense, which leans heavily on press coverage and tight windows. Amos isn't just a plug-and-play option. He could also emerge as a full-time starter by midseason. His ball skills, competitiveness, and resilience against big-bodied receivers address a critical need in the secondary.

Peters prioritized getting a young, ascending talent in Amos without overreaching. This one could pay immediate dividends. The Washington Commanders just wrapped their 2025 NFL Draft and added five new rookies to the roster that will join a team that reached the NFC Championship Game in 2024. As the draft has become an annual tradition celebrated among all NFL fans, so too has the practice of passing immediate judgement on the Commanders' decisions this past weekend in the form of letter... In line with that, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano and Matt Verderame sat down to grade Washington, and here is how general manager Adam Peters came out of it. "The Commanders addressed a few glaring needs with their first two picks.

Conerly was the fourth offensive tackle selected, but he was considered by most draft experts to be a first-round talent. Suddenly, Washington has depth and talent in the trenches after making it work last season with quarterback Jayden Daniels often playing away from the pocket. Things didn’t exactly work out with Marshon Lattimore after the midseason trade, but he’ll now have more help with the arrival of Amos, who had a whopping 16 passes defensed last year," Manzano said. •Round 1: No. 29: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

Strengthening The Foundation Grading The Commanders 2025 Nfl Draft Cla

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