Washington Commanders Draft Josh Conerly Jr.: Contract Details, Massive Protector

With the No. 29 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders selected former Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. Get to know the newest Commander's contract details as well as some background from his time in Eugene, Oregon.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Conerly was expected to be selected on Thursday night with a number of mock drafts having Conerly off the board in the first round. The former Duck only played three seasons of college football, but he proved himself as an elite prospect during his junior year, his second season as a full-time starter.

Now, Conerly could be a cornerstone part of Washington's future as he protects the defending Offensive Rookie of the Year, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. A left tackle is a quarterback's best friend, and Washington got a talented one in Conerly.

Mar 2, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly (OL07) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A highlight of Conerly's time with the Ducks was his performance in the Big Ten Championship against Penn State and eventual No. 3 overall pick to the New York Giants, Abdul Carter. Conerly and the rest of Oregon's offensive line held Carter in check all night as he did not register a sack or a tackle for loss.

Every one-on-one pass rep between Josh Conerly Jr. (#76) and Abdul Carter (#11)

Speed vs. Speed pic.twitter.com/4FgENMfKnz
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 8, 2025

His status as an NFL prospect was uncertain before the 2024 season, but Conerly turned heads late in the season with his protection of Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel. His overall athleticism boosted his draft stock, and the Oregon offensive tackle decided to take his talents to the NFL instead of returning for his senior year with Ducks coach Dan Lanning.

Contract Details:

According to Sportrac, Conerly's four-year contract is worth $15,660,564. The averague value is $3,915,141 per year. Sportrac also expects Conerly's signing bonus to be $8,029,502.

Quotable:

"Continue to prepare myself for the season. You know what I mean, no matter where I end up, just gotta make sure I'm ready," Conerly said when asked about his next steps after Oregon's pro day in March.

"I feel like I've improved. I've improved as a man. I've grown up first off, and then I feel like I've matured a lot. Not gonna dwell on old things, you know, just kind of flushing bad things that happen and just going up moving on to the next," said Conerly after his pro day workout.

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Back in 2023, Lanning highlighted Conerly for his work ethic and mentality as a young offensive lineman.

"It'd be hard to mention one or two, but a guy that really stands out to me going into year two is Josh Conerly," said Lanning. "This guy's working his tail off in everything that he absolutely does. The way he stretches, just the way he approaches everything, his mentality in the classroom as well."

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Recruiting Profile:

As a high school prospect, Conerly was a five-star recruit in the class of 2022. 247Sports ranked Conerly as the No. 1 player out of Washington, the No. 2 offensive tackle prospect, and the No. 16 overall recruit in his class.

He took his time with his college decision, eventually committing to Lanning and the Ducks over USC, Miami, and Michigan in April 2022. His decision was reportedly a surprise for the Oregon coaching staff, and their excitement after Conerly's commitment was caught on camera.

the coaches reactions hahaha pic.twitter.com/SSCUgSbIqb
— duck (@UOFBopinions) April 9, 2022