The Commanders knew they needed help at running back when the 2025 NFL Draft rolled around. They just waited until the seventh round to address it, using their final pick on Jacory Croskey-Merritt out of Arizona.
A year later, that choice looks a lot better. Croskey-Merritt has climbed to No. 9 among the 23 running backs selected in that draft class, according to Bleacher Report, after carving out a meaningful role in Washington’s offense as a rookie.
“Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a great story last year - the seventh-round pick out of Arizona who went from being the last running back drafted to starting seven games for the Washington Commanders as a rookie.
In his first career start last year against the Los Angeles Chargers, the 5’11’’, 208-pounder carried the ball 14 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. By the end of that first season, he had surpassed 800 yards on the ground, averaged a respectable 4.6 yards per carry and found the end zone eight times.
Things haven’t gone as well as in 2026. His yards per attempt have dropped by a full yard, and he is currently on injured reserve with a groin injury. He has also offered little as a receiver, with just 14 career receptions.
But Croskey-Merritt has shown he can at least be part of a committee attack in the backfield as a between-the-tackles grinder.”
The dip in production this season hasn’t been all on him. Washington’s offensive line has struggled to help in either the run game or pass protection. The team also tried to bolster the backfield in the 2026 draft with Kaytron Allen, but released him near the start of October after he managed only 41 rushing yards on 12 carries over the first four games.
With Croskey-Merritt on injured reserve, Washington turned to Rachaad White, Austin Ekeler, and Jeremy McNichols in its Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The results were modest: 53 rushing yards, 3.1 yards per carry. Before Croskey-Merritt went down, the Commanders were averaging 139.6 rushing yards per game and had topped 100 rushing yards in four of their first five contests.
In Other News...
Commanders Fans Have A Growing Reason To Doubt Adam Peters
The early returns on Adam Peters first major roster-building swings have not given Commanders fans much comfort. Washington entered the 2024 season with plenty of hope that a fresh front office would sharpen the draft and stabilize a roster that has needed help in several places, but the teams uneven play has kept the spotlight on the general managers choices, especially the way he has tried to patch together the running back room.
That concern only grows when so many of the 2024 draft additions have yet to leave a clear mark. The Commanders needed immediate help from that class, particularly on Day 2, and instead they are still waiting for those picks to deliver the kind of impact that can change the shape of a season. Until that happens, every shaky week on offense or in the backfield is going to feed the same question: how long does Washington need to wait before Peters plan starts paying off? [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have A Few Young Reasons For Hope
A rough 1-4-1 start has left the Commanders searching for traction early in the 2026 season, but there are at least a few young names giving the roster something to build around. Jayden Daniels has kept competing through injuries and a handful of mistakes, Antonio Williams has flashed as a receiver, and Amik Robertson has offered a steadier presence in the secondary than Washington has often found while trying to piece things together.
Sonny Styles has also emerged as one of the more encouraging developments on the defense, doing the kind of work that shows up all over the field even when the teams results do not. Add in KLavon Chaissons pressure off the edge, and the Commanders can at least point to a handful of players who have made a difficult opening stretch feel a little less bleak, even if the bigger turnaround is still waiting to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Bye-Week Scouting Trip Put Offensive Help In Focus
A Commanders scout was in Austin for the Texas-Ole Miss matchup over the bye week, a reminder that Washingtons attention is already turning toward ways to help the offense. The Longhorns and Rebels offered plenty of talent to evaluate, with quarterback Arch Manning helping Texas win the game and several skill-position players giving evaluators something to track beyond the final score.
The names on the board fit Washingtons obvious needs, especially at running back and wide receiver, where Ole Miss back Kewan Lacy and Texas options like Raleek Brown, Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman are all part of the conversation. Injuries complicated some of the evaluation, but the trip underscored the kind of college talent the Commanders are likely to keep circling as they look ahead, even if nothing official has been made public. [Read more 🡒]