Josh Conerly Jr. Could Be Commanders' Most Important Building Block

The Washington Commanders are building their offense around Jayden Daniels, but they have an intriguing piece protecting him in Josh Conerly Jr.

Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman listed Conerly as the team's early breakout candidate for the 2026 season.

"Conerly’s 59.9 PFF overall grade for the season may not portray an imminent breakout, but he improved down the stretch. From Weeks 9 through 18, Conerly ranked just outside the top 30 qualified tackles with his 71.6 PFF overall grade. He allowed just two sacks in that time frame while stabilizing his play in the run game. The Commanders should be very encouraged by what they saw from Conerly during the second half of the campaign," Wasserman wrote.

Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. talks about playing quarterback and going to the Rose Bowl. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Commanders Have Strong Lineman in Conerly

The Commanders were hoping Conerly would hit when he was the No. 29 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He stepped right into the starting lineup and had a rough start, but pushed through the lows he suffered at the beginning of the season.

While he was on the right side for most of the season, there is an argument to be made for him to move to the left side once veteran Laremy Tunsil leaves the team.

Even with all of the chaos surrounding the Commanders when it came to quarterbacks, Conerly remained a constant for Washington's offense, starting all 17 games for the team. The Commanders knew they needed a durable and reliable offensive tackle with their first-round pick, which is why they put their faith in Conerly by selecting him.

So far, the selection has worked out well for the Commanders and he has room for growth as he develops in the trenches for the team. If he can continue to grow for the Commanders, Daniels will have his long-term tackle for the considerable future.

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