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The Washington Commanders walked into the NFL Draft with just five picks - hardly enough to put the finishing touches on a championship roster - or at least that was what analysts expected.
Despite the limited draft picks, Washington was able to come away with top players across the board on both sides of the ball. Whether it was Josh Conerly Jr. along the offensive line, or a steal in Trey Amos later, the Commanders have come away with a strong core of young players.
And ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes the team came away much better off than anyone expected. The long-time draft expert gave the Commanders an excellent 'A-' grade throughout the draft.
"They might have gotten rookie starters with both of their top picks. I liked the selection of Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29 -- he played left tackle at Oregon, but I see his immediate future at guard or right tackle. He has the traits to play on the left side, though Tunsil will have that spot locked down for a few years," Kiper said. "I thought Washington might go with a corner there, but GM Adam Peters got Trey Amos with his lone Day 2 pick, nearly 20 spots lower than where he was in my rankings (No. 43). Amos will fill a big hole for this defense.
"I liked what Peters did with his first three selections, but this is not quite an A because it's a small class and because he didn't address the hole at edge. Still, this is a team that should again challenge for the NFC East crown."
Washington not getting an edge rusher was something that Kiper docked the team at this point.
That doesn't take away from the fact that the Commanders should feel confident that they improved their roster before the draft began. And it'll set themselves nicely moving forward.
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Despite the limited draft picks, Washington was able to come away with top players across the board on both sides of the ball. Whether it was Josh Conerly Jr. along the offensive line, or a steal in Trey Amos later, the Commanders have come away with a strong core of young players.
And ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes the team came away much better off than anyone expected. The long-time draft expert gave the Commanders an excellent 'A-' grade throughout the draft.
"They might have gotten rookie starters with both of their top picks. I liked the selection of Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29 -- he played left tackle at Oregon, but I see his immediate future at guard or right tackle. He has the traits to play on the left side, though Tunsil will have that spot locked down for a few years," Kiper said. "I thought Washington might go with a corner there, but GM Adam Peters got Trey Amos with his lone Day 2 pick, nearly 20 spots lower than where he was in my rankings (No. 43). Amos will fill a big hole for this defense.
"I liked what Peters did with his first three selections, but this is not quite an A because it's a small class and because he didn't address the hole at edge. Still, this is a team that should again challenge for the NFC East crown."
Washington not getting an edge rusher was something that Kiper docked the team at this point.
That doesn't take away from the fact that the Commanders should feel confident that they improved their roster before the draft began. And it'll set themselves nicely moving forward.
Related: Commanders Draft Grade Addresses Glaring Void
Related: Commanders Move Labeled NFL Draft 'Home Run' By Critics
Related: Commanders Move Labeled NFL Draft 'Home Run' By Critics
Continue reading...
