The Washington Commanders' season went about as badly as it could have possibly gone. But there were a few bright spots in players who made their case as long-term pieces.
All in all, early returns on Adam Peters' most recent draft class are promising. Josh Conerly Jr. improved drastically throughout the year after a rough start. Trey Amos showed some flashes before a fractured fibula ended his season. Jaylin Lane struggled as a receiver, but was an elite punt returner from the get-go.
Then, there was the darling of training camp: Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The seventh-round rookie running back became an immediate fan favorite, rushing for 805 yards and eight touchdowns. He's still not satisfied.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt vows to continue improving after standout rookie season
Croskey-Merritt was the final of 25 running backs selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, with the No. 245 overall pick. He spent the offseason buried deep on the depth chart, but suddenly found himself as a starting contributor after Brian Robinson Jr. was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2.
His season was an up-and-down ride, with standout performances in Week 1 against the New York Giants and Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He then went eight games without scoring a touchdown and began losing snaps to Chris Rodriguez Jr., before finishing the season strong.
After completing his first NFL campaign, Croskey-Merritt offered some honest reflections on his performance.
"I feel like it was the best year for me, and I couldn't have asked for a better year. I'm gonna go get the feedback. I'm looking for the coaches' feedback, and I'm gonna look at everything I did wrong and during the offseason. I'm gonna go hit a hundred percent and come back better than ever."Jacory Croskey-Merritt via Commanders
Despite massively overachieving expectations for someone drafted at his position, he's far from content. He knows his standard is now much higher than that of a seventh-round rookie, and he'll be expected to heavily contribute to the Commanders' backfield again in 2026.
Whether that's as the starter or as part of a committee, he's determined to be ready.
Croskey-Merritt took his lumps this season and fought through them with resilience and maturity. He didn't let the inevitable rookie wall get to his head. He didn't complain when the coaching staff rolled with Rodriguez over him for various stretches.
He improved as a player, and he'll carry that momentum into Year 2.