All things considered, Washington Commanders rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. had a fairly good first NFL game. His athleticism was often evident as he moved downfield on running plays. And when he had his timing down, he held his own in pass protection.
On the other hand, Conerly is a rookie who is switching sides at the highest level of competition. He was a left tackle at Oregon and is now playing on the right side. There are bound to be growing pains, and there were certainly a handful of plays against the New York Giants on which he looked his age.
Conerly is still just 21 years old. He is the youngest player on the Commanders’ roster by more than a full year. The physical talent is obvious. But is he going to be consistent enough to protect the franchise’s most valuable asset, quarterback Jayden Daniels?
Josh Conerly Jr. went through an expected rollercoaster in Commanders' Week 1 win
Last season, the Commanders employed an uncommon strategy at left tackle. Rookie Brandon Coleman platooned for the first half of the season with veteran swing tackle Cornelius Lucas. By the second half of the campaign, the TCU product began taking every snap.
Washington could do that on the right side with Conerly and last year’s starter, Andrew Wylie.
Wylie is no world-beater. Last year, he graded out as the 57th-best tackle by Pro Football Focus. But he has always been a steady performer who tends to play better at the end of a game than he does at the beginning.
The question for Commanders’ offensive line coach Bobby Johnson is whether Conerly would benefit from having some time during games to watch from the bench. Or is it better to let him learn by being on the field, succeeding or failing, and presumably gaining experience?
For the most part against the Giants, Conerly acquitted himself well. He is a big man who moves well. On running plays, he was able to chip a lineman and reach the second level on several occasions. The one time he was asked to pull, he looked very smooth.
However, there were several obvious weaknesses.
Conerly is not yet an effective drive blocker. When asked to power straight ahead, he is not very good. That will probably improve as he adds bulk, especially to his lower half. But for now, he is far more effective blocking down on traps and counters than driving forward.
The Commanders’ running game against New York was primarily directed to the left side, behind Laremy Tunsil and Coleman (now playing left guard). When they did run right, John Bates was almost always lined up alongside Conerly to add support.
On Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s first-half touchdown run, it was Bates who threw the key block. But Conerly did a fine job getting into the second level on the running back’s big run that helped seal the game late in the fourth quarter.
Pass protection was a bigger issue. For much of the game, Conerly was adequate. Again, he was not overpowering anyone, but he showed quick feet and good technique. However, there were a few too many glitches where he simply didn’t get the job done.
Sometimes, these were physical problems. Despite his size and athleticism, Conerly still lacks the base to stand up to really good bull rushes. He was pushed back a few too many times for comfort.
He also gave up a couple of sacks and committed one holding penalty. That infringement revealed the most potentially troubling thing about Conerly, at least at this early stage.
There were several plays where he simply looked slow out of his stance. This is most likely due to the overwhelming nature of what the 21-year-old is being asked to do. Conerly will need to sharpen his concentration so that he is ready to go at every snap.
That may be one reason to consider a platoon, at least early on. Giving him a series off while Wylie steps in may allow him to clear his head and sharpen his focus when he is back on the field. It seemed to work rather well with Coleman last year.
In fairness, Conerly was handed a tough assignment for his first game. The Giants have an excellent front seven. Their edges — Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter — are as explosive a group as he will face all year.
Thibodeaux and Burns both cleanly beat the rookie on several plays. But overall, he didn’t fare too badly.
Conerly is going to be on the Commanders’ offensive line for many years to come. The only real question is whether he would benefit from getting a little downtime early on in his rookie year.
In the long run, it might help him, and it might improve the Commanders’ early-season offense as he grows into his role.