Commanders receive solid marks for draft class despite low grade Day 1

NFL.com's Chad Reuter didn't like the Washington Commanders' Day 1 pick, but overall the class was solid.

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. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We spend the days and weeks before the NFL Draft discussing what we think the Washington Commanders should do during the weekend.

Everything from trade backs, moves up the board, players being sent elsewhere, and of course, who the Commanders should actually draft, is on the table.

So, it is natural that after the event, we sit down and judge the class, discussing what Washington did right and wrong. Sometimes, those discussions come in the form of grades.

Mississippi Rebels cornerback Trey Amos. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

One such conversation came from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, who gave the Commanders' class an overall letter grade of 'B', while giving the Day 1 selection of offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. a 'C+'.

"Conerly was always in play as a late first-round pick, though the team passed on some defensive talent with tackles Laremy Tunsil and Brandon Coleman already on the roster. Amos was a great selection late in Round 2 as an aggressive cover corner to pair with Marshon Lattimore, for whom the team gave up its third-round pick," Reuter wrote.

"Washington traded away Day 3 picks for veterans Tunsil and Lattimore. I loved keeping Lane in the DMV because of his explosiveness as an inside and outside receiver," he continued. "The fluid, fast Medrano is a special-teams demon and productive outside linebacker waiting to happen. I also enjoyed the Croskey-Merritt pick; you'll be seeing him running past and avoiding tacklers in the open field."

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