The Washington Commanders chose to eschew using a premium pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to aid in either their below-average pass rush or iffy wide receiver room, choosing to build Jayden Daniels a wall up front by selecting Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29 overall.
Adam Peters, who helped acquire Trent Williams from Washington during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, knows the importance of elite offensive line play on contending teams. His emphasis on building the Commanders through the trenches now that a quarterback has been secured earned him some very glowing praise from executives around the league.
NFL executives, per Mike Sando of The Athletic, believed there was not a genuine franchise left tackle in this class, which aided the decision to trade for Tunsil. One executive believes that adding Conerly, with or without the acquisition or Sam Cosmi's injury, was a sign of smart team building.
“This is following the blueprint of how to fix an offensive line,” an executive said, per Sando. “Throw all of your resources at the problem. I’m shocked they didn’t take another one, frankly.” Washington is trying to build Daniels a line so good that he won't be touched in the postseason.
Commanders earn praise from NFL executive for selecting Josh Conerly Jr. in NFL Draft
Tunsil has two years left on his contract, but Washington could get out of that deal with minimal financial burden after the 2025 season if they so choose. This could enable them to slide Conerly in at left tackle and seamlessly keep the blindside spot performing at a high-end level.
However, the Commanders now can flip Conerly over to right tackle if they so choose. Even with Andrew Wylie and Brandon Coleman having established themselves as perfectly solid players in the pros, neither of them has the same ceiling. Tunsil and Conerly would be one of the best tackle pairings in the league.
Conerly allowed just six pressures last season, and most of those came against Ohio State. With tremendous pass-protection skill, light feet, and a history of quality play against good teams, the edge enforcer should have no trouble sticking around as one of Daniels' primary protectors.
Washington, which is finally being run smartly after years of ineptitude at the highest level, is well aware of the fact that there's no such thing as having too many good offensive linemen. Even with only a few picks in this draft, Peters was able to reinforce some of the Commanders' biggest strengths.