In his first draft at the helm of the Washington Commanders, general manager Adam Peters made a bold statement: nine picks, six of them in the top 100. For a franchise in desperate need of a reset, this was the foundation. Peters had already dipped into free agency to add veteran talent, but this draft was supposed to be the real beginning - a blueprint for rebuilding a roster with long-term upside.
Coming from a San Francisco 49ers organization known for smart, sustainable roster building, Peters knew the importance of getting the draft right. And in Year 1, it looked like he just might have nailed it.
Early Returns: Some Bright Spots, Some Growing Pains
Among the late-round selections, seventh-round edge rusher Javontae Jean-Baptiste flashed real potential. He didn’t play a ton, but when he did, there were moments - enough to believe he could be a rotational piece moving forward.
Fifth-round linebacker Jordan Magee battled injuries but showed enough to suggest he might be on track to break out in Year 2. Sixth-rounder Dominique Hampton, meanwhile, struggled in his transition from safety to linebacker - a tough adjustment that didn’t quite click in his rookie season.
But those late-round picks were always going to be more about upside than immediate impact. The real weight of the class - and of Peters’ first big test - rested on the six players taken in the top 100. That’s where general managers make their money.
Two of those picks, cornerback Mike Sainristil and offensive lineman Brandon Coleman, looked like hits early. Both played meaningful roles as rookies and held their own.
Three others - defensive lineman Johnny Newton, tight end Ben Sinnott, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey - didn’t contribute as much, but the potential was there. And then there was the headliner: quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Daniels Delivered - At First
Daniels didn’t just meet expectations in Year 1 - he shattered them. He was the consensus NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and gave Washington something it hadn’t had in more than a decade: a quarterback to believe in. For the first time since 2012, it felt like the Commanders had their guy.
Fast forward to this season, and Daniels still looks like the future. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing.
He’s been banged up, and the absence of star wideout Terry McLaurin - who held out - hasn’t helped. Daniels is still making plays, still showing the poise and athleticism that made him a top pick, but the leap some expected in Year 2 hasn’t quite materialized.
The bigger issue? The guys drafted around him have taken that leap.
Caleb Williams and Drake Maye - the two quarterbacks selected on either side of Daniels - are leading playoff pushes. Maye is even getting MVP buzz.
That doesn’t mean Washington should be second-guessing its pick, but the gap between Daniels and those two isn’t as wide as it looked a year ago.
The Rest of the Class? A Mixed Bag at Best
Outside of Daniels, the rest of the 2024 draft class hasn’t delivered the kind of growth Washington was hoping for.
Jean-Baptiste, the seventh-rounder who looked promising, has only played 60 snaps this season due to injury. Still, he’s the only player from the class who’s shown a notable improvement in his Pro Football Focus grade.
Brandon Coleman’s grade has held steady, but his role hasn’t. After playing 787 snaps as a rookie, he’s lost his starting job and is on pace to log fewer than 300 snaps this year. That’s a significant step back.
As for the others, the trend is concerning. Daniels, Johnny Newton, Mike Sainristil, and Jordan Magee have all seen their PFF grades drop - some sharply.
Ben Sinnott and Luke McCaffrey haven’t played enough to be graded. In McCaffrey’s case, it’s because of injury, which is unfortunate, because he had started to flash some real playmaking ability before going down.
Sinnott, on the other hand, simply hasn’t earned the snaps. With starter Zach Ertz now sidelined, Sinnott should get more opportunities in the final month of the season. It’s a chance to prove he belongs - and to shake off the early “bust” label that’s starting to form.
Newton, a player many hoped would anchor the defensive line for years to come, hasn’t shown enough. Sainristil, despite his versatility and toughness, is facing questions about whether his size (5-foot-9, 183 pounds) limits his long-term role.
A Draft Class at a Crossroads
It’s still early. These are young players, and development isn’t always linear.
Plenty of NFL stars have taken time to find their footing. But right now, this class - which once looked like a turning point - feels more like a question mark.
Daniels still offers hope. McCaffrey could bounce back.
Jean-Baptiste has shown flashes. But the rest?
Peters and the Commanders are still waiting to see if they can take that next step. And with the team in the midst of a rebuild, those answers need to come sooner rather than later.
One year ago, this draft class looked like the foundation of something special. Today, it looks more like a cautionary tale - a reminder that in the NFL, potential only gets you so far.