Commanders reinforced future with bold rookie move to protect Daniels

The Washington Commanders addressed their offensive tackle position twice this offseason by trading for veteran five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil and drafting rookie Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Like any first-round pick, Conerly is expected to become a cornerstone of the Commanders' offense for years to come, pairing with second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels as a pair of exciting young players who could secure success for the team for a long time.

Recently, Ourlads did a deep dive into the offseason moves made by Washington, including the selection of Conerly. “It was an easy pick for us to make,” general manager Adam Peters said after making the pick. “Everybody was just really pumped to get him.”

Washington Commanders offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (72). | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Coming out of the Oregon Ducks' program, the 6'6 300+ lbs. offensive tackle allowed just two sacks in his final collegiate season and earned All-Pac-12 honors as a result. “You see what an incredible athlete he is for his size,” Peters said. “He’s just 21, but very mature. He’s like a true pro already.”

Selected with the 29th overall pick in the draft by the Commanders, Conerly is expected to help bolster a front line that allowed 50 sacks in 2024, a figure that would have been higher had Daniels and backup Marcus Mariota not possessed the athleticism they flashed while under pressure several times last year.

Judging from early OTA and mandatory minicamp snaps only, Conerly looks like he'll be splitting reps at right tackle with veteran Andrew Wylie while Tunsil holds down the left side. This will be an adjustment itself for Conerly after playing exclusively on the left side while in college.

The Commanders don't seem all that worried about the move to the right, however. “He can play guard and he can play tackle,” Peters said in April. “He even practiced at right tackle at the Senior Bowl.”

Peters and his staff were so impressed by Conerly that despite the fact they only had five picks entering draft weekend, they opted to make the pick over trading back and collecting more capital. “If he was on the board, we weren’t going to trade back,” Peters said at the time. “It wasn’t worth even risking missing on him.”

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

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