Grading Washington’s draft class at halfway point of 2021

John Bates

Another mid-round disappointment comes in the form of John Bates, who remained bench even after Logan Thomas landed on IR. The rookie fourth rounder has just two catches for 11 yards this year and is being vastly out-shined by the likes of Pat Freiermuth, Tommy Tremble, Kylen Granson and Brevin Jordan.

Not a great look for the player or the franchise, though it’s worth noting that Bates has performed well in his limited reps as a blocker.

Grade: D

Camaron Cheeseman

There’s no real reason to go in depth on the Camaron Cheeseman pick. The fan favorite had some slip-ups during training camp, but responded with an impressive preseason and has since emerged as a reliable long-snapper.

Washington’s kickers have largely been a disaster this season, but Cheeseman’s snaps aren’t to blame. The organization seems to have found its LS of the future, which is great news, because Ron Rivera and Co. wouldn’t have heard the end of it if the Michigan product turned out to be a flop.

Grade: B+

The rest of Washington’s 2021 draft class are ineligible for grades. Darrick Forrest, the team’s fifth-rounder, has been out since the preseason with a hamstring injury. He’s since returned to practice and we’re hoping to see him take the field in the early stages of the second half of the schedule.

William Bradley-King and Shaka Toney, both seventh-rounders, have spent most of the year on the practice squad, though the latter was just promoted to the active roster following Montez Sweat’s injury.

The team’s final pick, Dax Milne, meanwhile, has been invisible despite Curtis Samuel, Brown and Cam Sims being dinged up seemingly all year.

That should just about do it. It was largely a mixed bag of results for the 2021 class. Here’s to hoping that the overachievers continue to exceed expectations and the underachievers start showing they belong in the NFL.