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Kliff Kingsbury's Manifests NFL Draft Pick: Josh Conerly Jr. Joins Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders' general manager Adam Peters stated former Oregon Duck Josh Conerly Jr. was a long-time favored pick before the NFL Draft, and has a letter from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to prove it.
Ally Osborne|
Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. speaks during Oregon football’s media day Monday, July 29, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. speaks during Oregon football’s media day Monday, July 29, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oregon DucksWashington Commanders

There's something simply magical about the pageantry surrounding the NFL Draft. From athletes breaking down when their names are called, to tense peaks inside the war rooms of each team, to the colorful characters that pop up during the broadcast (like former Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr.'s baby vomiting on camera), there's several storylines from the draft that feel almost imaginary.

One of those stories was a note placed on the desk of Washington Commanders' general manager, Adam Peters, before the Commanders drafted former Oregon Duck offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the No. 29 overall pick.

In a video recently shared online by the Commanders' social media team, Peters carries the letter into the Commanders' war room after Conerly was selected. Written by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury on ring-holed lined paper, the message read, "I stopped by. Take Oregon tackle. THNX! - Kliff."

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardina
Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The note felt like a real-life reference to the 2014 movie Draft Day with actor Kevin Costner, as Costner's character (fictional Cleveland Brown's manager Sonny Weaver) famously wrote on a green post-it note, "Vontae Mack No Matter What" to emphasize his choice to pick a lesser known talent over a big name athlete.

It' also worth noting Kingsbury was previously with the USC Trojans as an offensive analyst up until 2023, and was likely familiar with Conerly as a former adversary of the Ducks.

"Manifestation works," the Commanders' social media team posted with the video of Peters walking into the war room with the note from Kingsbury.

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And the Commanders did manifest Conerly, as trading down for a lower pick never yielded a result for the team to accept. In a lineman heavy first round, Conerly looked more and more likely to land a spot early, so the Commanders holding strong on their pick for No. 29, especially with this revealed letter, feels almost kismet.

Peters shared shortly after Conerly's pick that the team also felt like getting the former Duck was meant to be.

"This was a pick from the entire building," Peters said. "You're talking about starting off with Paul Skansi, who's our West Coast scout, stood on a table for him really early and put him on the map. And really just throughout the process we fell more and more in love with him."

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive linenam Josh Conerly Jr. (76) during the game against the Wisc
Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive linenam Josh Conerly Jr. (76) during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

"Coaches were all on board, and not just the o-line coaches because they always want somebody that's an o-lineman, but the coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Johnson, Dan Quinn - I mean everybody was just really pumped to get him. We were holding our breath for a while thinking he might go ahead of us so we were thrilled when he was there. It was an easy pick for us to make," Peters continued.

Conerly started all 14 of Oregon's games during the 2024 season, and played 929 of his total 965 snaps at the left tackle position. Conerly was an instrumental part of why Oregon's line yet again were Joe Moore Award finalists last season. He's expected to compete for a starting spot to guard quarterback Jayden Daniels and keep the ball rushing on the Commanders' 2024 No. 5 ranked total offense.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally Osborne has a passion for sporting events across her home state. She began writing for Oregon Ducks on SI in 2021. Currently a morning talk show host and sports reporter for KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon, Ally is engrained in her community. Finding and sharing stories that highlight the unique culture and connectivity sports creates is a part of her DNA. She frequently contributes sports content to KOIN's broadcast and streaming platforms while hosting talk show "Everyday Northwest" and video podcast "Tower Talk Live" every weekday. With Portland being her third-worked television market (second in Oregon), Osborne brings hard-news and feature-reporting experience to compliment her expertise for sports storytelling. Her journalistic endeavors and art creations (many of which are inspired by the Oregon Ducks) can be found on her social media pages. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. 

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