The 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, and we have compiled a consensus ranking using NFL draft grades from a variety of sites.
What draft grades have the media given to the Washington Commanders? What are they saying about the Commanders' 2024 draft haul?
NFL.com - Grade: A-
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A-
Analysis: The Commanders entered a new era with an excellent draft. Daniels could be an elite dual-threat playmaker if he becomes more efficient from the pocket. Newton is a force in the front four. Sainristil is a pain for opposing receivers to handle. Sinnott is an underappreciated receiving/blocking weapon. Coleman is a powerful guard/tackle. And McCaffrey is a reliable WR2 or WR3 option.
Washington did not have a fourth-round pick after moving up to the third in the Sam Howell trade with Seattle. It found a future starting linebacker in Magee, whose explosiveness was underappreciated while he was playing at Temple. Hampton possesses a nice combination of size and quickness, and it won't be surprising if he plays as a rookie.
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A-
Analysis: The Commanders entered a new era with an excellent draft. Daniels could be an elite dual-threat playmaker if he becomes more efficient from the pocket. Newton is a force in the front four. Sainristil is a pain for opposing receivers to handle. Sinnott is an underappreciated receiving/blocking weapon. Coleman is a powerful guard/tackle. And McCaffrey is a reliable WR2 or WR3 option.
Washington did not have a fourth-round pick after moving up to the third in the Sam Howell trade with Seattle. It found a future starting linebacker in Magee, whose explosiveness was underappreciated while he was playing at Temple. Hampton possesses a nice combination of size and quickness, and it won't be surprising if he plays as a rookie.
ESPN - Grade: A-
Top needs entering the draft: Quarterback, offensive line, cornerback
The Commanders have undergone a total reset of their franchise over the past year, with a new owner (Josh Harris), general manager (Adam Peters) and coach (Dan Quinn). Peters, who had been in the 49ers' front office since 2017, had some capital to work with in this draft, with six picks on the first two days.
The first step, though? Picking a quarterback. With 2023 starter Sam Howell traded to Seattle, Washington had its choice of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy at No. 2 overall. In my rankings, I had Daniels at No. 2, slightly ahead of Maye -- No. 6 -- with McCarthy nine spots later. In the end, the Commanders went with Daniels, a dual-threat playmaker who won the Heisman Trophy last season, and it was the right call. While he won't have quite the level of pass-catchers around him as Caleb Williams, Daniels has a true No. 1 in Terry McLaurin and a solid No. 2 in Jahan Dotson. Daniels is going to thrive in Kliff Kingsbury's wide-open offense and put up some massive numbers.
I wrote on Friday night about Washington's Day 2 haul, which is talented and deep. Taking defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton (36) is an example of the best-available-prospect approach; he has Pro Bowl upside as an interior pass-rusher. Mike Sainristil (50) is a really fun slot corner who can pick off passes and blitz off the edge. Tight end Ben Sinnott (53) can be an outlet for Daniels and upgrade as a run-blocker. Brandon Coleman (67) is a guard/tackle hybrid who could play early. And while I had other available receivers rated higher than Luke McCaffrey (100), the former quarterback turned heads with his contested-catch ability last season. Of the Day 3 fliers, I give linebacker Jordan Magee (139) the best chance to make the team because of his speed and size.
I really like this class overall, and whether it goes from great to amazing could hinge on Coleman becoming a starter. If he does and Daniels is a star, this could set the foundation for the Commanders returning to the playoffs -- in a couple of years.
The Commanders have undergone a total reset of their franchise over the past year, with a new owner (Josh Harris), general manager (Adam Peters) and coach (Dan Quinn). Peters, who had been in the 49ers' front office since 2017, had some capital to work with in this draft, with six picks on the first two days.
The first step, though? Picking a quarterback. With 2023 starter Sam Howell traded to Seattle, Washington had its choice of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy at No. 2 overall. In my rankings, I had Daniels at No. 2, slightly ahead of Maye -- No. 6 -- with McCarthy nine spots later. In the end, the Commanders went with Daniels, a dual-threat playmaker who won the Heisman Trophy last season, and it was the right call. While he won't have quite the level of pass-catchers around him as Caleb Williams, Daniels has a true No. 1 in Terry McLaurin and a solid No. 2 in Jahan Dotson. Daniels is going to thrive in Kliff Kingsbury's wide-open offense and put up some massive numbers.
I wrote on Friday night about Washington's Day 2 haul, which is talented and deep. Taking defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton (36) is an example of the best-available-prospect approach; he has Pro Bowl upside as an interior pass-rusher. Mike Sainristil (50) is a really fun slot corner who can pick off passes and blitz off the edge. Tight end Ben Sinnott (53) can be an outlet for Daniels and upgrade as a run-blocker. Brandon Coleman (67) is a guard/tackle hybrid who could play early. And while I had other available receivers rated higher than Luke McCaffrey (100), the former quarterback turned heads with his contested-catch ability last season. Of the Day 3 fliers, I give linebacker Jordan Magee (139) the best chance to make the team because of his speed and size.
I really like this class overall, and whether it goes from great to amazing could hinge on Coleman becoming a starter. If he does and Daniels is a star, this could set the foundation for the Commanders returning to the playoffs -- in a couple of years.
The Ringer - Grade: A
THE COMMANDERS PUSHED ALL THEIR CHIPS TO THE CENTER OF THE PROVERBIAL DRAFT TABLE TO TAKE HEISMAN WINNER JAYDEN DANIELS, an electric dual-threat quarterback who could quickly emerge as one of the most exciting young players in the game. Washington turned around in the second round and grabbed one of my favorite interior defenders in this class, the explosive and unstoppable Jer'Zhan (Johnny) Newton. The former Illinois star adds playmaking depth to the team's already-stacked interior rotation. The team also added dynamic nickel corner Mike Sainristil in the second—a raw but instinctive cover man who can start right away in Washington's secondary. Tight end Ben Sinnott is another one to watch in this haul: The former Kansas State tight end brings high-end athleticism and elusiveness to the Commanders' offense, giving Daniels another target over the middle of the field. This class should provide an immediate boost for the Commanders.
USA Today - Grade: A-
No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels (LSU) could be their galvanizing, long-sought franchise quarterback after the previous regime spent years kicking that can down the road. Second-round DT Johnny Newton (Illinois) and DB Mike Sainristil (Michigan) could be foundational players for the incoming staff ... though Newton's arrival seems to signal Jonathan Allen or Daron Payne could be a short-timer. And it's worth wondering if the former decision-makers did the current ones a disservice by dealing Sweat as pass rush is still an issue here. Third-round WR Luke McCaffrey certainly has the bloodlines — and maybe the talent to be an impact target for Daniels from the slot.
Fox Sports - Grade: B+
Rule No. 1 of drafting a franchise QB: surround him with help. But that's not really what the Commanders did after drafting LSU QB Jayden Daniels second overall. They turned to their defense, where they did get great second-round value in Illinois DT Jer'Zhan Newton and Michigan CB Mike Sainristil. Both could be big-time players. The same goes for second-round TE Ben Sinnott. All their top picks were excellent, but their O-line is still a glaring issue and they didn't address that until Round 3 with TCU guard Brandon Coleman. That could turn out to be a regrettable decision. —Ralph Vacchiano
CBS Sports - Grade: A+
Best Pick: It was their first one, quarterback Jayden Daniels. I think he will be the best quarterback from this draft. They locked up a franchise passer with pick No. 2. He will be dynamic.
Worst Pick: I didn't love the pick of third-round receiver Luke McCaffrey, although he has talent and is improving. I think there were better options on the board -- like Troy Franklin -- when the pick was made.
The Skinny: In his first year running the draft, general manager Adam Peters killed it. It started by taking Daniels with the second overall pick, but continued throughout the process. This is a team moving in the right direction. I liked all their second-round picks in defensive tackle Johnny Newton, corner Mike Sainristil and tight end Ben Sinnott. They drafted a lot of talented football players.
Worst Pick: I didn't love the pick of third-round receiver Luke McCaffrey, although he has talent and is improving. I think there were better options on the board -- like Troy Franklin -- when the pick was made.
The Skinny: In his first year running the draft, general manager Adam Peters killed it. It started by taking Daniels with the second overall pick, but continued throughout the process. This is a team moving in the right direction. I liked all their second-round picks in defensive tackle Johnny Newton, corner Mike Sainristil and tight end Ben Sinnott. They drafted a lot of talented football players.
Sporting News - Grade: A
Analysis: New GM Adam Peters hopes to flip all the past bad vibes and Daniels' upside as a passer and runner for Kliff Kingsbury is a great start. Defensive-minded Dan Quinn had to love Newton and Sainristil back-to-back to help push this group toward what he had in Dallas. Sinnott and McCaffrey add interesting spread weapons to Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Austin Ekeler, and Zach Ertz. Then, Quinn got more of what he needed late, too.
SI - Grade: A+
Analysis: This was a straight-up masterpiece. The Commanders got the best quarterback in the draft (as I see it, at least) and then hammered the top 100, eschewing the relatively worthless picks that will be coming in Rounds 4—7. This is one of the few drafts that I thought elevated a team from its pre-draft status into something promising. Could Washington be this year's Texans? I'm not ruling it out and you shouldn't, either.
Touchdown Wire - Grade: A+
If I'm grading a draft on the number of My Guys a team selected (and really, what else am I supposed to do this early in the process), only the Cardinals can rival the number of Farrar favorites selected. Start with Jayden Daniels, who was my top quarterback and No. 1 overall player in this class. I had Johnny Newton ranked as highly as any defensive player not named Quinyon Mitchell. Ben Sinnott started playing hockey at age 3, and in high school, he led his team in both points and penalty minutes. That's a perfect summary of his football playing style. Mike Sainristil is a first-day green dot guy who reminds me of Tyrann Mathieu and Jalen Pitre. And Luke McCaffrey is one of the slipperiest receivers in this class. First-year general manager Adam Peters came into an organization trying to put all kinds of bad decisions behind it, and this draft class couldn't have gone much better in that regard.
