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Washington Commanders' Josh Conerly Jr. Earns Praise From Teammates After Minicamp

After the first round of NFL mandatory minicamp wraps up, members of the Washington Commanders are raving about former Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., particularly from Commanders offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.

Ally Osborne

Jun 10, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (72) jogs on the field during drills on day one of minicamp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (72) jogs on the field during drills on day one of minicamp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Since 2019, the Oregon Ducks received three finalist nods for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in the nation. The Ducks' offensive linemen are known for their talent, especially after a championship first year run in the Big Ten Conference. One of the linemen behind the Ducks' prowess in the trenches is getting quite the praise.

Selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is turning heads during OTA's and mandatory minicamp, which wrapped up Thursday to get into the summer off season. On the last day of minicamp, fellow teammate and veteran offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil didn't hold back on his praise for Conerly.

"You know who I'm really impressed with though... JC [Josh Conerly Jr.]," Tunsil said to reporters on Thursday. "JC is going to be a dog. I'm not just saying that to blow smoke up his a**. But JC gonna be a dog. I can't wait to see it."

Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., left, runs drills with Oregon offensive lineman Marcus Harper II during the Oregon
Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., left, runs drills with Oregon offensive lineman Marcus Harper II during the Oregon football’s Pro Day Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As a highly sought after target during the NFL Draft process, its no surprise Conerly is performing during team workouts. The tackle made waves with his impressive performance during the NFL Combine as well as booked eight Top 30 visits with programs across the nation before being taken No. 29 overall.

Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowler, recognizes the talent that helped this former Duck continue Oregon's six-year consecutive first round pick trend.

"Just the way he moves, the way he bends," Tunsil continued, "Athletic, smart, very intelligent. I think he's got all the tools to be a damn good player in the league."

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During day two of the Commanders' minicamp, Conerly spoke with the media about the learning curve he has to take in order to become an essential player at the next level.

“Really that you do have to know your stuff and know it fast, so that's the only way you're going to get out there," Conerly said.

That learning can come from working with veterans like Tunsil, which according to Conerly, gleaning knowledge from his teammates is one of the things he's thrilled to do during this off season.

“Really just get out here and work a smaller group of guys, so get to know them as best as I can and then obviously just take all the coaching that I can and absorb that and put it into my play," Conerly said.

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

During his 2024 season with the Ducks, Conerly was named to the All-Big Ten First Teamm, to which he was voted to the honor by the media and coaches alike. Conerly finished the regular season with an 80.3 pass-blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus with only six total pressure over 404 opportunities.

Conerly is also acting as a recruiter for the Ducks, encouraging athletes like offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho to join his old program.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI, Ally Osborne is a born and raised Oregonian. She 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. Osborne continued her career in Bend, Oregon as a broadcast reporter in 2021 for Central Oregon Daily News while writing for Oregon Ducks on SI. Since then, Osborne is entering her third season reporting for the publication and is frequently the on-site reporter for home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. She is currently the host of lifestyle shows "Everyday Northwest" and "Tower Talk Live" for KOIN 6 News in Portland, Oregon. Osborne also works as a sports reporter for KOIN 6's "Game On" sports department. In her free time, Osborne is an avid graphic designer, making art commissions for athletes across her home state. Osborne's designs have even become tattoos for a few Duck athletes.

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