The Washington Commanders only have five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Trading Marshon Lattimore, Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel was necessary for Washington, but produced very different results.
The Commanders are a surprising contender in 2024 and are in dire need of help at cornerback. They took a chance on Lattimore, sending multiple draft picks to the Saints despite him dealing with injuries. But no success. Lattimore barely played in 2024; when he did, he performed poorly and committed too many penalties.
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He followed a similar trend in 2025 until he tore his ACL midway through the season. Although Lattimore has one year left on his contract, he will not return.
The Tunsil and Samuel trades worked out well for Washington. Samuel had to move out of position frequently due to injuries to his receiver general, but he remained productive throughout the season. Tunsil is excellent and will hopefully pay again. He earned it.
So, about the draft class. How does Washington’s draft class compare to the other 31 NFL teams?
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently ranked the rookie production of all 32 classes. Commanders were ranked 25th.
This is another team led by a rookie offensive tackle, this time first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. He started on the right side in all 17 games but had below-average pass-block percentage (88.8%) and run-block win rate (71.2%). Seventh-round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been the Commander’s starter for much of the season and has rushed 175 times for 805 yards and eight touchdowns. Fourth-round wide receiver Jaylin Lane (16 catches, 225 yards) also made an impact.
On defense, the most impactful rookie was second-round cornerback Trey Amos, who played in 10 games and started eight before suffering a season-ending leg fracture.
We think this is an unfair assessment. Connelly’s improvement from the first eight games to the final nine has been huge. His second-half performance has Washington excited about having him at bookend tackle for years to come. And if the Commanders switch to a zone-blocking scheme, Connally might be better off, as it would highlight his athleticism.
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Crosky-Merritt was outstanding. He was the last running back drafted and passed nearly everyone, including some who were drafted in the first two rounds. He also did this on a part-time basis.
Ryan was drafted first for his ability as a punt returner, and he did not disappoint. He returned two punts for touchdowns and led the league in yards per return and total yards. Ryan is still growing as a receiver, but he’s proven to be another cornerstone as well.
Washington has dealt with a variety of injuries in 2025, and Amos’ broken leg was one of the most disappointing since he was already the Commander’s top cornerback. General manager Adam Peters was right about Amos. Washington needs to replace Lattimore this offseason, but Amos has already locked up a spot.
Overall, it’s hard to argue with the ranking of Washington’s class. There were only five draft picks, one of whom was strictly a special teams player and another who was an offensive tackle. The good news is that at least four of them showed growth throughout the year and are expected to play a more significant role in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Commander’s Wire: Washington Commander: How does it rank at the rookie level?
