Adam Peters kicked off his roster regeneration with the Washington Commanders by ruthlessly blitzing the personnel in 2024. The general manager got some immediate returns on this drastic measure, but things have not gone nearly as well this time around.
Peters went away from his original intent to build through the draft, pushing his chips into the middle after Washington reached the NFC Championship game. That blew up in his face, with aging veterans falling by the wayside and countless injury problems playing a leading role in their demise.
Another problem was young players who were supposed to emerge as cornerstone pieces failing to meet expectations. The Commanders didn't get much from almost anyone, which called into question how profitable Peters' first draft class in Washington will be, given that very few have progressed effectively.
With this in mind, we regraded the 2024 NFL Draft class after two campaigns that can best be described as a rollercoaster.
Regrading the Commanders' 2024 NFL Draft class after two seasons
Commanders drafted Javontae Jean-Baptiste
- Edge rusher | Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Round No. 7 | Pick No. 222
The Commanders spent their final selection of the 2024 draft on edge rusher Javontae Jean-Baptiste. He forced his way onto the rotation and flashed promise as a rookie. Hopes were high that he could enhance his influence in Year 2, but an unfortunate development quickly denied him that opportunity.
Jean-Baptiste suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle against the Atlanta Falcons, ending his campaign before it barely began. Hopefully, he can recover well and get back involved, but with the Commanders expecting to make big changes defensively under a new coordinator, he'll be in audition mode once again this summer.
- Regrade after Year 1: A
- Regrade after Year 2: B
Commanders drafted Dominique Hampton
- Safety | Washington Huskies
- Round No. 5 | Pick No. 161
Eyebrows were raised when the Commanders selected Dominique Hampton. He came into the league on the back of a phenomenal campaign with the Washington Huskies, but despite making the roster in 2024, the safety/linebacker hybrid was seldom seen on game days.
The Commanders gave him ample time to develop behind the scenes, but he didn't come close to meeting expectations. One disastrous preseason performance was all it took for Washington to cut Hampton, and he hasn't carved out a second chance for himself elsewhere.
- Regrade after Year 1: Incomplete
- Regrade after Year 2: F
This was a swing and a miss from Peters. Hampton never came close to catching on, and Kain Medrano will be striving to ensure he doesn't suffer a similar fate in the coming months.