2022 NFL Draft: Grading the Commanders’ five Day 3 selections
By Jerry Trotta
The NFL Draft has been very kind to the Washington Commanders, who clearly have utmost confidence in the current make-up of their roster.
You know the old saying, “never judge a book by its cover”? Well that can be applied to Washington’s draft.
With their first-round pick, the club selected Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson after trading back five spots. They parlayed that into Alabama defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis and running back Brian Robinson Jr. on Day 2.
After “reaching” to fill roster needs over the first three rounds, the Commanders pivoted and pursued value on Saturday. Though fans were left underwhelmed (to an extent) after the first three picks, Washington injected much-needed excitement into its fan base to close out the 2022 showcase.
It wasn’t a perfect draft by any means and say what you will about Washington’s evaluation process, but the incoming class figures to have a big say on the success of next year’s team. What more could you ask for? With that in mind, let’s analyze the team’s Day 3 selections and give each of them a letter grade.
I just spoke with new Commanders safety Percy Butler. Said Washington kept in touch throughout the process so he was NOT surprised by this pick. Thinks he can help quickly in coverage and special teams. "Nobody matches my speed. I run fast and I play fast."
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) April 30, 2022
Grading the Commanders Day 3 draft picks
Percy Butler, S, Louisiana
The Commanders might have reached on Butler, but they clearly prioritized finding immediate contributors over good value in the first few rounds. In Butler, Washington gets an absolute speed-demon whose 4.36-second 40-yard dash ranked second among all prospects who partook in the Combine.
NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms views Butler as the “best pure free safety” in this draft, but he seems to be alone on that island. That’s not to say Butler won’t compete for snaps, but “best pure free safety” might be a reach on Simms’ part.
You know what isn’t a reach? Calling Butler the best special teams gunner in this draft, as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said while analyzing the pick: “Best special teams coverage player in the entire draft. A dominant gunner.”
We’ll take that! Butler might be a little undersized for the safety position, but the former Cajun won’t be more than a rotational player behind Bobby McCain and Kam Curl. We can’t wait to see him wreak havoc on special teams.
Grade: B-
Percy Butler is a SS prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 8.14 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 158 out of 843 SS from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/QRhr1FDEf0 #RAS pic.twitter.com/GoBuzZqVyS
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 8, 2022
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
After the Butler pick, the Commanders traded picks No. 120 and 189 to the Panthers (the Commanthers, some would say) for picks No. 144 and 149. To say fans came away satisfied with these picks would be an understatement.
To start, they netted UNC quarterback Sam Howell, who ESPN’s Jordan Reid mocked to Washington in the second round in his latest projection. Like Reid, all draft watchers were dumbfounded that Howell slipped through Round 4.
The Commanders ended that slide and get a prospect who’s widely said to have the best deep ball of this year’s quarterbacks. While there’s a lot to like about Howell’s arm talent and athleticism (he rushed for 828 yards and 11 touchdowns last year), he’s undersized for a QB and has suspect accuracy from the pocket.
All in all, Washington got fantastic value here, as Howell was floated as a first-round selection early in the draft process. He’ll start the year as the third-stringer, but his arm strength could see him leapfrog Taylor Heinicke for the backup job if he hits the ground running in rookie mini camp and training camp.
Grade: A