Hogs Haven
Commanders.com
The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Command Center pod examined the Washington Commanders entire 2025 draft class to see who’s stock is up after their rookie seasons. Here’s who analysts Logan Paulsen, Fred Smoot and Santana Moss thought had the best return on investment, a value they want to hold, best value and more.
Best return on investment
Smoot: “Bill Croskey-Merritt. We invested a seventh-round pick, and we got a starting running back. We invested in a guy that didn’t play his senior year. We got a starting running back. And not just a starting running back; a big-time game breaker.
Paulsen: [Jordan Magee] is gonna be my best return on investment, because he’s a guy that every year got a little bit better, paid a dividend, working in the right direction, and I think he’s poised if Bobby Wagner chooses not to come back or whatever happens, he can put that green dot on. And for a fifth-round pick to be wearing the green dot, that seems like a good ROI.
Stock to hold
Moss: I can go with Trey Amos or [Mike] Sainristil. I feel like they’re both in the same category. I’m holding both of those guys. Trey showed you out the gate, to me, he was arguably our best corner up until he got injured. You got a guy in Sainristil…who led the team in picks again. At the end of the day, he’s showing you that he’s valuable. He might be undersized at times, but he’s showing that he’s somebody to be reckoned with out in the secondary.
Best value
Smoot: Mine would be [Luke] McCaffrey. I thought as the year started to go on, he was headed to the Pro Bowl as a returner. He was leading the NFL in returns. And the next thing you know, guess who I see dunking on people scoring touchdowns at wide receiver? It was McCaffrey. I’m telling you right now, for what we paid for this guy, for what he’s turning into, we got us one.
To the moon
Smoot: Jayden Daniels. Through the roof. After having that success his first year, then him being hurt, in and out of the game plan, him watching Caleb [Williams] have success, him watching Bo Nix take his team to the playoffs for the second time, him watching…there’s a fire burning right there. And I think he’s gonna outball his rookie year in passing yards and rushing touchdowns. Through the roof.
Bullock’s Film Room (free article)
We’ve heard about how highly Blough is rated since he was brought in by Kingsbury to be the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024, having spent the 2023 season on the Detroit Lions practice squad. He’s spent time playing quarterback for a number of good offensive minds....
