Your way to0 early Commander's draft grade

[London Kev]

I don't really know enough about the college game to properly evaluate, but I enjoyed the draft and like who we got (after reading about them post-draft) so I'll go with a B-.

 

One omission really stuck out though; if you break the offense and defense down into very basic positions, you get: OL, QB, RB, WR, TE, DL, LB and DB.

 

One of those things is not like the others; we didn't draft a LB. We did draft two DBs and picked up a couple of UDFA LBs, but pre-draft the worry was about the Big Nickle role and we don't seem to have solved it.

 

Thanks to the ESers who reminded me that Landon Collins is still available, maybe we re-sign him? Maybe one of the new or existing guys can fill that spot? I don't know, I just found it strange that we didn't draft a guy in the early/mid rounds as it seemed to be a need.

[Wyvern]

The site is losing posts that were made in this thread.  There's a big gap, after French Fan's post (7 hours ago)  and Chump Bailey's (17 minutes ago).  It was in that timeframe when I  made a decent-sized post which someone later rated; that's gone.  Heck, even the the system notification to me about that rating is now gone. ....What gives?

[Number 44]

Seems to me that we have to include Wentz when evaluating this year's draft...  A.

[88Comrade2000]

7 hours ago, Mrshadow008 said:

Okay and? Tell me a qb or any prospect you would’ve drafted in the third round that wouldn’t have some type of ?s 

There would always be a question. 
 

Wentz for now = question mark 3rd round draft pick.

 

Wentz earns the long term job; his grade improves.

[The Sean and Laron show]

7 hours ago, Mrshadow008 said:

Okay and? Tell me a qb or any prospect you would’ve drafted in the third round that wouldn’t have some type of ?s 

 
Not to derail the thread but we wouldn't be paying a 3rd round pick with a questionable skill set almost 30 million dollars this year. 

[LightningBuggs]

D+

 

First 2 picks were reaches for need, the second one a self-induced need.

 

Howell is a steal and could very easily be the QB this franchise is looking for.  He's the only thing keeping this draft from being an F.

[CommanderInTheRye]

Solid B.

[zCommander]

From NFL.com.... my grade is a B+ though.

 

Grade

B

 

Washington Commanders

 

Draft picks

• Penn State WR Jahan Dotson (No. 16 overall)
• Alabama DT Phidarian Mathis (No. 47 overall)
• Alabama RB Brian Robinson (No. 98 overall)
• Louisiana S Percy Butler (No. 113 overall)
• North Carolina QB Sam Howell (No. 144 overall)
• Nevada TE Cole Turner (No. 149 overall)
• Tulsa G Chris Paul (No. 230 overall)
• Oklahoma State CB Christian Holmes (No. 240 overall)

 

Day 1 grade: B

Day 2 grade: C+

Day 3 grade: A

 

Analysis: The Commanders were able to recoup the third-rounder lost in the Carson Wentz deal (via a Day 1 draft trade with the Saints) while finding a quick and sure-handed receiver in Dotson to help Wentz succeed and complement Terry McLaurin. Mathis will be a solid rotational player, and Robinson has the speed-power combination to be a good NFL back. 

 

Addressing the safety spot was a must on Day 3 for Washington, and Butler was the best choice. Howell will prove to be an excellent pick in the fifth round whether or not he steps in for Wentz as a rookie. I love Paul as a guard, moving inside at the pro level just like Brandon Scherff. Turner's receiving skills will be used right away, as the team does not have enough options at tight end.

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by zCommander

[duffy]

16 hours ago, Daniel.redskins said:

Besides Dotson, I don't see any of these players getting much playing time.  I said this in the other thread, should have just taken Hamilton and then a WR in the second.  That would have been two starters right there.  Ron's worst draft here in my opinion.  

Pretty sure we'll see a good bit of Mathis. I could even see Butler get a shot at FS early on. Hopefully the team doesn't try to run Gibson into the ground and uses BRob on the short yardage and early downs. Longer season, gotta keep everyone fresh for the paloffs. 

[Command The 414]

I’m going B… with my only real dislike being the 2nd rounder (just felt at the time there was way bigger needs and capable prospects still there at the time)

 

But they definitely ended well in the latter rounds imho and to be honest I’m looking forward to seeing which guys can and will make the team and how much they can/will bring to the table in 2022 (with Howell not seeing any action though)

[Springfield]

I’ll give it a solid A for building a team that’ll give us another mid level pick next season. Congrats fans!

[RawRebel]

On 5/1/2022 at 10:53 AM, LightningBuggs said:

D+

 

First 2 picks were reaches for need, the second one a self-induced need.

 

Howell is a steal and could very easily be the QB this franchise is looking for.  He's the only thing keeping this draft from being an F.

How was 1st rd pick a reach? Dotson had a 1st round grade and was best receiver left on board.

[LightningBuggs]

20 hours ago, RawRebel said:

How was 1st rd pick a reach? Dotson had a 1st round grade and was best receiver left on board.

Dotson himself said he wasn’t watching the draft (he was watching NBA playoffs) because he wasn’t expecting to go until late 1st or even 2nd round. 
 

He had a late first grade. Therefore he was a reach at 16. 

Edited May 3, 2022 by LightningBuggs

[Voice_of_Reason]

Unless you have a DeLorean time machine with a working Mr. Fusion and Flux Capacitor, there is no way to judge a draft after it happens.

 

Media “Big Boards” are based on pundits opinions and grades are based on how close the team gets to those opinions.  
 

Fan evaluations are basically the same, how close the team got to what the pundits said “the right thing to do” was. Because opinion is basically set by Mel Kiper’s hairspray and fools like Thor Niestrom. 

 

I will say what I liked:

 

- They added a weapon who should be able to immediately produce in a Dotson.

- They got a DT who can actually play over the nose, something Payne isn’t great ag, and will be an immediate contributor 

- I like they got a RB who will take the tough Carrie’s from Gibson, reducing his workload and I think making him more effective.

- they needed another QB and they got one to develop who has massive upside.

- They got a TE who can catch because I doubt Thomas will be ready until November. 
 

I have no idea how good the guys they got are going to be.  Nobody does.  We will find that out in the coming years.

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Voice_of_Reason

[ToaCommander]

A solid B+ until after the season and beyond, when they have played or not.

[Wyvern]

With such a deep pool of talent in this year's draft, and Washngton's 11th pick bargaining chip... Ronco would have had to be totally inept to emerge with no value.

 

Still, it looked grim at first.  Washington's patchwork-logic approach for drafting strategy resulted in a lot of naysayers debating Washington's "single-time" trade-down strategy, especially when the strategy's value was oddly neutralized by an odd reach in round 2, and unwillingness to fully leverage trading out of the early blue-chip zone for more value picks in the talent-loaded rounds 2, 3, and early 4.

 

Mathis was a reach, and put the stamp on a decision that a backup DT was a greater need than an elite player at LB or "Swiss-Army knife" solution at free safety/buffalo-nickel. Another issue is whether Dotson at 16 was worth more than Lloyd in late 20's plus Moore or Pierce at 47 plus a lot more value picks in rounds 3-5.  IMHO, Dotson is an intense competitor but his,small frame will limit his versatility.  And while Robinson is a competitor too, maybe selecting Brisker over Butler ensured greater value.

 

My initial post grading the Washington draft with detailed reasons for my rating was "lost" by ES website-- and I don't want to have to recreate all of it agakn.  But, boftom lime, I deducted points for the illogical pick at 2, for not following through entirely with their initial trade-down strategy because they viewed Dotson as an elite who couldn't be passed up, even thougn other solid WRs would still be available later in round two, for not attempting to address their need at LB / Buffalo-Nickel with a quality candidate, and lastly for  "whistling past the graveyard" in hoping Butler learns angles and to tackle well enough to be the last line of defense at FS.  I'll grant that Howell is a good pick potential-wise and publicity-wise, but the fact is I was not able to detect a consistent strategy in the conduct of the overall Washington draft. 

 

I gave Washington's drqft a conditional C-, depending on how well their gambles at WR and FS worked out, and assuming they might find a way to actually bolster their very noticeable needs at  ILB / Buffalo-nickel with something beyond a bunch of UDFAs. (In Mayo, I trust?  SMH)

 

I saw too much over-drafting of "smurf" slot WRs, of slow, non-blocking TEs,  and of essentially "Special-Teams proxy" solutions  for Washingtons very real needs at CB, LB, FS, etc. Moreover I felt there was not much thought given to what was the actual 'priority' of each of this team's needs --and whether those needs should be addressed in year-one, or in later years, perhaps through longer-term development of talent. 

 

Sorry, but IMHO, the Washington draft didn't seem logically planned out, actually  almost ad-hoc and driven by committee.  But time will tell. I just hope I'm wrong.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Wyvern

[duffy]

On 5/1/2022 at 10:29 AM, Wyvern said:

The site is losing posts that were made in this thread.  There's a big gap, after French Fan's post (7 hours ago)  and Chump Bailey's (17 minutes ago).  It was in that timeframe when I  made a decent-sized post which someone later rated; that's gone.  Heck, even the the system notification to me about that rating is now gone. ....What gives?

 

[mistertim]

14 hours ago, LightningBuggs said:

Dotson himself said he wasn’t watching the draft (he was watching NBA playoffs) because he wasn’t expecting to go until late 1st or even 2nd round. 
 

He had a late first grade. Therefore he was a reach at 16. 

 

I think Dotson may have been a little bit of a reach, but not an enormous one. I sort of figured him for an early 2nd sort of guy, so getting him at 16 was a bit early but not insanely so. Then again, that's where I had him slotted, so that's pretty meaningless. Ron and company had a 1st round grade on him, and they know way more about football than I do. I still think it was a slight reach, but not one I'm going to lose sleep over.

 

Mathis IMO was a bigger reach. High floor low ceiling guy who probably would have been available a round later. He'll be another solid but unspectacular addition. I think we could have gotten a better player here. Or at least one with more upside.

 

Robinson pick is pretty neutral value wise so it's fine. Definitely good to get help in the backfield though I'm not quite as high on him as some.

 

Butler seems like mostly an upside pick which is fine, but I think it might have been a bit of a reach. People talking about him being the best FS in the draft are nuts IMO.

 

Howell in the 5th is a mind blowing steal. I thought the 2nd was his floor. Maybe early 3rd if things went wonky.

 

Turner is another upside pick, but I'm fine with it in the 5th. Huge wingspan, great body control and hands, ok route runner, still learning the position. Not a great blocker, not especially fast but ok speed. Not very shifty and looks like he has slow feet at times.

 

Paul is a good pick. Not a ton of upside but a solid player with lots of experience in different positions. High character guy. Will hopefully be a solid rotational guy.

 

Holmes I honestly know next to nothing about but in the 7th it hardly matters. 

 

I'd say overall I give it a C+/B-

 

Good depth draft. Some reaches, but the Howell pick almost cancels that out. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by mistertim

[Redskins Reparations]

I am sure to get some negative feedback based on most ESers giving high marks but I justify my reasoning:

 

Pick 11 traded for 16, 98 and 120 

 

 

I would have drafted FS Kyle Hamilton which pisses me off even more after a safety was drafted later in the draft.

 

Pick 16 WR Jahan Dotson

Not a terrible pick but there were so many quality WR’s available in the draft that would have been available in the 2nd and 3rd rounds (C)

Pick 47 DT Phidarian Mathis

I would have preferred to address DT in free agency and sign a veteran journeyman (D-)

Preferred WR George Pickens

 

Pick 98 RB Brian Robinson Jr.

Solid Pick and a position of need (B).

 

Pick 113 S Percy Butler

More of a special teams player from what I have observed (D-)

Preferred LB Brandon Smith

 

Picks 120 and 189 Traded

For picks 144 and 149

 

Pick 144 QB Sam Howell

Fantastic value (A+)

Pick 149 TE Cole Turner

I don’t think this upgrades the TE position (F)

Preferred CB Tariq Woolen

Pick 230 G Chris Paul

Provides depth on the OL (C)

Preferred OL Thayer Mumford

 

Pick 240 CB Christian Holmes

Camp Fodder (D)

Preferred OL Rasheed Walker

 

Overall I give this draft class a weak D…

 

[KDawg]

Dotson was not a reach. If a guy is going to go before you pick again and you think that your trade back options leave you in danger of getting him... you aren't reaching. 

 

Drafting a guy 16th instead of 22nd isn't a reach.

 

We don't get to pick where our draft slot is unless we trade. And obviously they were nervous someone would take him before they had a chance if they traded back. Like, oh I don't know... Green Bay at 22.