Daily Slop – 25 Apr 25 – Washington Commanders hold 61st pick on Day 2 of 2025 draft

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders draft OT Josh Conerly Jr.: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

Conerly played in every game for the Ducks during his three seasons in Eugene, making 41 appearances, and started all 28 games at left tackle over the past two years.

Conerly ranked No. 23 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“Because of the underdeveloped parts of his game, he will put himself in some compromised positions, especially against power rushers, but his recovery balance is exceptional. Overall, Conerly must continue refining his hands and core strength, but he is on the right trajectory and enters the NFL with a promising foundation based on athletic movements and body control. Currently a ‘bend, don’t break’ blocker, he has the talent to become a solid starter early in his NFL career.”

The 311-pound Conerly started two years on the left side for the Ducks but would move to the right side in Washington, where he would compete with last year’s left tackle starter, Brandon Coleman.

Whether it’s an immediate transition or not, Coleman to guard seems like the plan. The wonder is whether Coleman could serve as Sam Cosmi’s replacement while the right guard recovers from ACL surgery that likely keeps him sidelined at least through training camp, or he challenges left guard Nick Allegretti for the starting role. Two-year right tackle starter Andrew Wylie is already figured to be in the guard mix after the Tunsil trade. It’s possible the solid lineman becomes available for trade.

Allegretti’s future is also now more uncertain, though his contract runs through 2027. Conerly enters the NFL at 21 years old, meaning there is lots of room for physical and personal growth. Having Coleman and Wylie allows the coaching staff to take it slow with the rookie, should they want. They put Daniels into a competition with Marcus Mariota last season, despite everyone knowing the outcome. Conerly isn’t a Week 1 lock, but he’ll have an inside path for reps.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Drafting Josh Conerly Jr. to further protect Jayden Daniels was always Commanders’ plan

Washington intends to have the tackle candidate compete this summer, as it did with Daniels and quarterback Marcus Mariota last year. Conerly, who celebrated the significant life moment with friends and family back home, is game for whatever the staff has in mind.

“Hey, if that’s what I gotta do, that’s what I gotta do,” he said.

Washington has one selection on Day 2, No. 61, to address other areas. There were intriguing defensive ends, cornerbacks and offensive playmakers available in the first round. Whereas the talent at these positions runs deep, offensive tackles become harder to find after Round 1.

“We did think that after Josh, there was going to be a little bit of a dip (in talent),” Peters said. “That shouldn’t be the driver of your decision, but it also makes you feel more comfortable about doing that.”

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ESPN

Washington Commanders 2025 NFL draft picks: Selection analysis

My take: Washington continues to emphasize protecting quarterback Jayden Daniels. Conerly started for the past two years at left tackle for Oregon, earning third team All-American honors by the Associated Press. He’s the fourth key addition Washington has made over the past year, after adding center Tyler Biadasz, drafting tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round in 2024 and trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. That group will pair with right guard Sam Cosmi to form a strong unit. It should be the best front Washington has had in more than a few years.

Will he start as a rookie? It would be a disappointment if he doesn’t. He won’t start at left tackle with Tunsil — a five-time Pro Bowler — at the position, but Conerly could start at right tackle or even move inside to guard if they determine Coleman would be better on the right. The Commanders have a need inside with Cosmi potentially missing the first part of the season while recovering from a torn ACL. Also, left guard Nick Allegretti was signed last offseason to a deal that suggested solid backup or fringe starter. Conerly will need some developing but at some point will break into the lineup.

Key stat: Over Washington’s final seven games, some negative trends emerged. Daniels’ sack percentage was 10.4 or higher in three of the last four regular season games; the pressure percentage was 37.5 or greater. For the season, the sack percentage was 6.9 and the pressure percentage was 32.5, so there was a considerable drop. Also, over the final seven games, Washington’s running backs averaged 1.76 yards before contact, which ranked 29th during that span. The Commanders needed to improve its line and now have added Conerly in addition to Tunsil this offseason.

What’s next: Washington has one pick on the second day, with the 61st overall selection. The Commanders will go strictly by their board, which could mean another offensive player. They do want to add another running back and would like a corner or edge rusher — edge Oluwafemi Oladejo would be a tempting pick if he’s still around at 61. Washington had a desire to add more selections so a trade back also remains possible.

2025 NFL draft: Pros, cons for every first-round pick

29. Washington Commanders — Josh Conerly Jr., T, Oregon

Why they picked him: Washington wants to build a fortress in front of quarterback Jayden Daniels. It has revamped its offensive line this offseason by trading for Laremy Tunsil and by drafting Conerly, who can play either guard or tackle. In three of the last four regular-season games, Daniels’ sack percentage was 10.4 or higher and the pressure percentage 37.5 or greater. Daniels can run, but he’s a passer first and this should provide him more chances to hang in the pocket and throw the ball. Washington can now envision its starting five for the next several years with Tunsil, Conerly, guard Sam Cosmi, center Tyler Biadasz and Brandon Coleman.

Biggest question: Where will Conerly play? Tunsil will start at left tackle, of course. Washington can either move Conerly or last year’s rookie left tackle Coleman to right tackle with the other one inside. Conerly started for the past two seasons at left tackle but some teams viewed him as a guard, according to a league source. He has the size and arm length to stay at tackle. Conerly won’t be handed a starting job, but he should find a home along the front sooner than later.

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NFL.com

2025 NFL Draft: Bucky Brooks’ pick-by-pick analysis for Round 1

By trading for Laremy Tunsil, Washington has the luxury of selecting a young player who can sit and learn, and eventually take over down the road. The best teams address needs before they become dire. Conerly has the size and athleticism to become a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders beef up offensive line, draft tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with 29th pick

Washington continues to build around quarterback Jayden Daniels by drafting 6-foot-5, 311-pounder from Oregon

“We were holding our breath for a while,” General Manager Adam Peters said Thursday night. “ We thought he might go ahead of us, so we were thrilled he was there.”

Conerly was the top player on the Commanders’ draft board once they were on the clock, Peters said, and the team spurned opportunities to trade back to stay put and grab him.

“It was an easy pick to make,” Peters added.

His film, while exposing at times his need for continued development, showed his potential to be a key piece of Washington’s line for years to come. Conerly, a third-team all-American last season, closed his college career with 28 consecutive starts and allowed only six pressures over his final 12 starts.

In Washington, the only certainty about Conerly’s role is that it will not be left tackle; Tunsil will remain on the left side, where he earned five Pro Bowl selections with the Houston Texans.

Conerly could switch to the right side and compete for the starting right tackle job. He could also shift inside to guard if needed.

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

NFL Draft Profile: OT Josh Conerly Jr.

He’s a big, athletic lineman measuring in at 6-foot-5, 311 pounds with 33½-inch arms. Some believe he’ll convert to guard in the NFL but I personally don’t agree with that idea. I think he has the foot quickness and length to play outside and his weaknesses would just be more exposed at guard. His athleticism and foot quickness do stand out when watching him, he’s an easy, fluid mover which enables him to react to speed and redirect when needed.

On this play, Conerly matches up against Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, a projected top five pick in this draft. Carter is known for his speed and quickness, meaning he can challenge both sides of a tackle with his burst off the edge and quickness to dive inside. He does the latter here, bursting up the field before suddenly cutting back inside of Conerly at left tackle. Conerly shows the speed and foot quickness with his drop to match Carter’s speed off the edge, but then also has the ability to redirect back inside as Carter dives inside. He gets his footwork right as he makes the necessary adjustment and cuts off Carter’s inside move, washing him down the line in the process.

His footwork impressed me the more I watched him. He showed a variety of different sets, from a vertical set like we just saw, to quick sets and even more.

Here we see one of those variety sets. At the snap, Conerly takes his first kick step backwards as normal. However, this is just to disguise his true intention. After that first step backwards, Conerly suddenly drives forward towards the defender. It’s a surprise quick set. Typically a quick set sees the tackle step forward towards the defender straight off the snap, but Conerly shows a more advanced version here. The step back makes the defender believe it’s a normal set before suddenly surprising him with it. It’s a very nice set to have as a change up to mess with the timing of pass rushers. You can see the impact it has on this play too. He locks up the rusher quickly, who wasn’t expecting Conerly to suddenly jump towards him. The rusher tries to disengage and work inside, but Conerly stays locked on and ends up driving the defender to the ground with a strong finish.

So the feet are a big plus for Conerly, which to me says he can live at tackle at the next level. The two reasons why college tackles often have to transition to guard in the NFL is because they lack foot quickness or arm length. Conerly has the feet, so that’s not an issue. His arms are half an inch under the 34-inch threshold that most NFL teams look for, per his combine measurement, but the combine arm length measurements seem to have been consistently off this year. At his pro day, his arms reportedly measured in at 34¼ inches, above that threshold. It’s all very marginal stuff and when you watch Conerly, the length doesn’t show up as a huge issue. In fact, his hand fighting looks pretty good overall.

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Podcasts & videos

EXCLUSIVE Post Round-One Interview with GM Adam Peters | 2025 NFL Draft | Command Center

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NFC East links

Big Blue View

Round 1 ‘things I think’: New York Giants hit the draft home run they needed

The Giants hit a home run, pulling off the double dip of getting a game-changing defender at No. 3 in Abdul Carter considered to be one of the two best prospects in the draft class, then sliding back into Round 1 to get the potential franchise quarterback of the future they have been trying to put in place for at least the last two offseasons by selecting Jaxson Dart at No. 25.

That crazy, strange feeling you may be experiencing as a Giants fan? One that you may not have felt for a while and may only have distant memories of?

That’s called hope.

After two seasons of being laughed at for the product they have put on the field and for the way they ended up looking during their ill-conceived appearance last offseason on ‘Hard Knocks’, the Giants needed to change the narrative that they were a bumbling, lost franchise with a GM and head coach who were dead men walking.

Mission accomplished.

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Discussion topics

The Athletic (paywall)

NFL Draft best available players for Washington Commanders: Nic Scourton, Jayden Higgins

Edge rusher

Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M: Dane Brugler’s 12th-ranked defensive end was the Big Ten’s 2023 leader in sacks as a 19-year-old team captain. Scourton’s sack production declined last season after transferring to Texas A&M, whose staff asked him to play roughly 20 pounds heavier. The hustle and leadership traits were still there. Now the weight is off — Scourton was under 260 at the combine — and those positive attributes remain.

Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas: Jackson is another high-energy player teams might target high on Day 2. Despite a more modest athletic profile compared to his positional peers, Jackson’s power, hands and determination led to 13 sacks and 24 tackles for loss during his final two seasons with the Razorbacks. There’s an opportunity for immediate snaps, and Jackson’s profile suggests he’ll be ready to rock ‘n’ roll.

Femi Oladejo, DE, UCLA: Oladejo’s in-season transition from green-dot linebacker to an attacking edge rusher impressed scouts and put the 6-foot-3, 261-pounder firmly in the second-round conversation. Being named Senior Bowl defensive MVP didn’t hurt. Oladejo’s pass-rushing plan needs refinement, but the chiseled frame is apparent, and he has three-down potential and pre-draft buzz. Washington won’t need to force the 21-year-old into action.

Josaiah Stewart, DE, Michigan: Adding the only FBS prospect in the class with at least 30 career sacks sounds like a solid plan for a Washington roster needing a pass-rush boost, even if the 6-foot-1, 249-pound edge defender is undersized.

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ESPN

Round 2 NFL mock draft: Best available prospects, predictions

61. Washington Commanders

Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M

The surprise of Round 1 might have been Washington foregoing defense for an offensive lineman at No. 29. In Round 2, it could snag the pass rusher coach Dan Quinn needs with the high upside of Scourton, who had 10 sacks in 2023 at Purdue but saw his impact and production wane at Texas A&M last season.

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All aTwitter

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