Pro Football Focus doesn’t see much separation between the Commanders’ two main running backs heading into 2026.
In PFF’s ranking of all 32 projected NFL starting running backs, Washington’s Chris Rodriguez landed at No. 31, while second-year back “Bill” Croskey-Merritt came in one spot ahead of him at No. 30. For a Commanders backfield that added competition this offseason, that’s a pretty low starting point for the player who led the team in rushing last season.
PFF pointed to Croskey-Merritt’s unusual rise as a big part of his case. The outlet called him “one of the league’s best underdog stories last season as a seventh-round pick who played just one college game in 2024.
He ended up leading the Commanders with 805 rushing yards and recorded a solid 75.4 PFF rushing grade. Washington did right in the offseason by adding receiving complement Rachaad White, but Croskey-Merritt should garner the majority of the carries - particularly with Chris Rodriguez Jr. departing for Jacksonville.”
That departure matters in the numbers game, too. Rodriguez, drafted by Washington in 2023, was offered a contract by the Jaguars that he couldn't pass up and signed with Jacksonville in March.
Washington hasn’t exactly handed the backfield over to Croskey-Merritt, though. The Commanders signed two free-agent running backs this offseason, Rachaad White and Jerome Ford, and then kept adding when general manager Adam Peters drafted Kaytron Allen at No. 187 overall.
Croskey-Merritt himself was a late-round find for Peters, selected 245th overall in the 2025 draft after being available in the seventh round. He flashed enough as a rookie to finish with 805 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
The next step is clear. Croskey-Merritt will need to sharpen his pass protection and become more reliable as a receiver out of the backfield if he wants a bigger role in 2026. If he stays healthy, though, there’s room for a leap in David Blough’s new offense.
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