Commanders NFL Draft Class Receives Good-News Grades

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 8:43 AM ET

The Washington Commanders entered the 2024 draft with 10 selections, but none were more pressurized than the No. 2 pick.

The Commanders chose Jayden Daniels as the new face of the franchise, and it proved to be the right decision. Jayden led the team to a 12-5 record and an NFC Championship appearance.

But Daniels wasn't the only rookie to show promise. Corner Mike Sainristil showed plenty in Joe Whitt Jr's defense, while Luke McCaffrey, Brandon Coleman, and Jer'Zhan Newton also had flashes.

For Pro Football Focus, when grading each team's 2024 draft class based on production, the Commanders had the second-best class, behind only the Los Angeles Rams.

"Jayden Daniels assembled arguably the best rookie season in NFL history, as his 3.11 WAR led all offensive rookies by more than 1.3," Pro Football Focus writes. "Beyond his hyper-efficient playmaking under center, Washington was buoyed by cornerback Mike Sainristil, whose 65.8 PFF overall grade ranked 10th among qualified rookie cornerbacks — all while playing out of position on the outside. Other Commanders rookies, like Brandon Coleman, Jer’Zhan Newton and Luke McCaffrey, didn’t grade as highly but still stepped in to play high snap counts."

Daniels, as expected was the crown jewel for Washington last season, with his ability to remain cool under pressure a big reason for the Commanders' two road playoff wins.

Others in McCaffrey (18 rec, 168 yards), Coleman (started 12 games, 787 total snaps), Newton (started 11 games, 2.0 sacks, seven quarterback hits, six tackles for loss) and Sainristil, who started 16 out of 17 regular-season games, also got valuable playing time and didn't look out of place as he grabbed two interceptions to lead the Commanders' defense.

With the Commanders looking to reload and go even further in the postseason in 2025, the 2024 draft class of Daniels, Sainristil, Coleman, and McCaffrey is likely to have a big say in how far the franchise goes.

Every team wants its rookie class to contribute straight away, but as we know, that isn't always the case. For Washington, the 2024 class gave it serious bang for its buck.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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