Washington Commanders GM Reveals Why Dan Quinn Wanted To Draft Josh Conerly Jr.

With the first night of the NFL Draft completed at Lambeau Field, one former Oregon Duck found his future home. Former starting left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. will be headed to the Washington Commanders after being selected by the Commanders with the No. 29 overall pick.

Conerly, a staple for the Ducks throughout the 2024 season, was a stand-out throughout the pre-draft period. Conerly notably interviewed with every single team at the NFL Scouting Combine and attended eight different top 30 visits before his name was called in Green Bay.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters, revealed why the team chose Conerly with this first round pick.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"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."

"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.

Of course, for those paying attention to the pre-draft talk, Conerly was a name that steadily rose in chatter amongst analysts. Chris Simms of NBC Sports predicted that the former Duck would be heading back to his hometown of Seattle with a No. 18 pick by the Seattle Seahawks.

Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) celebrates scoring a second quarter touchdown with tight end Patrick Herbert (88) and offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Athletic's Dane Brugler said Conerly would head South to the Los Angeles Rams with the No. 26 overall pick. The legendary ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper even predicted the former Duck would go No. 31 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In his draft profile, NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein raved about Conerly's performance in the Big Ten Championship against Penn State's defensive end Abdul Carter and despite a few sharp edges to polish, Conerly will make a promising rookie starter.

"He moves easily in space and gets to his angles to help spring the run," Zierlein said. "Conerly sets with smooth slides and ready hands but gets caught over-setting. He has anchor troubles against power that might be challenging to correct. He sees twists and blitzes developing and recovers with athleticism when beaten. Conerly is young and needs more development, but he should become a good starter at tackle or guard."

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Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. takes the the ball on the way to a two-point play against Maryland. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Conerly brings a sought after big build at 6-5, 311 and solid athleticism. At the point of attack, Conerly brings a level of strain to his blocks that prevent him from falling down during a struggle. Conerly also has a level of quickness to him, likely because of his time as a running back in high school before transitioning to left tackle.

Though he played 929 of his total 965 snaps at the left tackle position, Conerly is willing to switch up his position on the line depending on the needs of the Commanders, but based on some insight the athlete shared with "The Insiders" on the NFL Network, he feels best when playing on the exterior of the line.

"Yeah, I mean, whatever is asked of me, but I do see myself as a left tackle," Conerly said. "I mean honestly, anything that coaches want from me - that's what I'm going to do."

Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) blocks against Stanford Cardinal linebacker David Bailey (23) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Based on the words of Peters, Conerly should expect to be a major part of the Commanderss' trenches in the 2025 season.