2022 NFL Draft grades: Commanders earn respectable marks with first three picks

Coming into the 2022 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders were regarded as an afterthought in terms of intrigue. That’s usually the case, but Ron Rivera’s side very much got the ball rolling by being the first team to trade back on Thursday.

The Commanders making things interesting?

Much to the chagrin of the national media, yes, that’s exactly what happened, and it continued when they drafted Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson with the No. 16 overall pick, which some considered a little bit of a reach.

What matters is the front office gave Dotson a first-round grade, so they technically managed to trade back and get their guy. But what do NFL analysts think of the pick? Did Washington get good value? Did they extend themselves too much?

Let’s take a look at what the experts are saying about the team’s first three selections, starting with Dotson.

The Commanders’ first three draft picks earned inconsistent grades from league experts and analysts.

The Dotson pick was definitely boosted by the fact the Commanders acquired two extra draft picks. NFL Network analyst Chad Reuter praised both the deal and pick, saying Dotson’s “hands are outstanding and he really performed well for a Nittany Lions offense lacking explosiveness when he wasn’t getting the ball.”

Reuter gave the entire move a B grade.

Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic had a similar viewpoint. The best part? His analysis focused solely on the Dotson pick, applauding the Penn State product‘s 4.43 40 time and ability to separate when lined up on the outside or in the slot.

“He doesn’t make a lot of people miss with the ball in his hands, and at 178 pounds, his play strength in the NFL is a question. But Dotson profiles as one of the wide receivers from this class who should be able to contribute right away.”

Like Reuter, Kapadia gave Washington a B.

Pro Football Focus’ staff didn’t think as highly of the pick, saying “this is still a bit rich for Dotson. The biggest concern with Dotson is that he doesn’t have the prototypical size that you want for an outside receiver.” Rather than give a letter grade, PFF gave Washington a “Below Average” evaluation.

“Below average” usually equates to a C, so we’ll just role with that so as to not confuse readers. All in all, these were strong reviews. Can the same be said for the Commanders next two selections? Let’s find out.

With their lone second-round pick, the Commanders pounced on another Alabama defensive lineman in Phidarian Mathis.

Widely recognized for his presence as a space eater and run-stuffer, Mathis improved as a pass rusher in leaps and bounds this past season, notching a career-high nine sacks and 10 tackles for loss in Nick Saban’s defense.

The pick split opinions as soon as Mathis revealed his agent told him he expected to get drafted in the third or fourth round. However, some insiders reported he wouldn’t have made it past pick No. 57, so we don’t know what to believe.

In a vacuum, it was a necessary pick with Daron Payne likely to leave next offseason at the absolute latest and Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle both departing via release and free agency, respectively. Let’s see if the experts agree.

While Kapadia recognizes Mathis’ ability to be scheme-versatile, disruptive against the run and as a pass-rusher, he knocked Mathis’ age (24), which is old for any prospect regardless of round. Kapadia also called him “among the worst athletes at DT in this year’s class,” before giving the pick a C letter grade.

Once again, PFF gave the Commanders a “below average” score, saying it’s “a pretty steep reach, as he (Mathis) was selected nearly 50 picks sooner than the PFF draft board would suggest. Mathis is long, violent and strong but not particularly agile or explosive, hindering his ceiling at the next level.”

Reuter graded the Day 2 as a whole, so he combined both of Washington’s picks. Therefore, we’re deferring to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, who gave the Commanders a surprising B grade and called Mathis a “complete defensive tackle.”

Like everyone else who’s critiqued the pick, though, Trapasso questioned whether Washington had “bigger” needs to address. At the end of the day, two Cs and a B isn’t too bad for a pick that was questioned by seemingly all of Twitter.

With their third-round pick, the Commanders bolstered their backfield in the form of another Alabama standout, Brian Robinson Jr. An absolute mauler of a running back who wants to steamroll defenders, Robinson’s profile is exactly what the front office has been looking for as a backup for Antonio Gibson.

Though Robinson met with Washington during the pre-draft process, the selection came as a surprise given there were a plethora of RBs still on the board, including Isaiah Spiller, Dameon Pierce, Zamir White and Pierre Strong Jr.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the grades.

Kapadia gave the Commanders a B- for Robinson, noting he’s a “physical downhill, back” who figures to be a complementary piece for Gibson.

He also pointed out Robinson didn’t become Alabama starter until 2021, so he’ll be fresher than most RBs who hail from Nick Saban’s program. For context, Robinson tallied 545 carries over his five-year run in Tuscaloosa.

Trapasso made a similar remark about the lack of mileage on Robinson’s legs, which is huge considering his bruising running style. The CBS analyst called the former Alabama star “one of the more underrated big backs in this class” and thinks he’s “deceptively” good at making defenders miss in the backfield.

Given running back wasn’t a pressing need for Washington (Gibson finished sixth in the NFL in rushing last season) Trapasso gave the pick a B-. For what it’s worth, Reuther gave the Commanders a C+ for their Day 2 showing.

That should just about do it, folks. Take these grades to heart, give them a quick glance or throw them in the trash.

Given the consensus “meh” reaction from Commanders fans, we think these grades are an accurate reflection of the team’s performance. Nothing flashy, but players with high floors who’ll contribute right away as rookies.

Do you agree?