How Washington Commanders Top-Ranked NFL Draft Class Impacts Overall Athleticism Rank

The Washington Commanders went heavy on athletes in the NFL Draft, but still have work to do if that's the form they want their roster to hold.

David Harrison | May 26, 2024

Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs offensive lineman Brandon Coleman (77) against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders targeting one thing above all in the NFL Draft this year, and that thing was athleticism. Lots of it.

According to their relative athletic score (RAS) the Commanders had the top average score of any other NFL team in the draft coming in at a 9.427 average out of a possible 10.

Leading the way is offensive tackle Brandon Coleman with a score of 9.97, though that came at guard, a position Washington does not intend to use him in.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels and defensive tackle Johnny Newton didn't test, so their athleticism wasn't part of the calculation. However, we can all believe had they tested, the numbers would have been just as high if not higher.

Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs offensive lineman Brandon Coleman (77) against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

"The Commanders had a highly athletic draft class, but they're still ranked 20th for their roster,"
- Kent Lee Platte, Creator of RAS

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. scored a 9.75, so we can assume Daniels would have been in the same area or even higher had he decided to test.

That focus on athleticism is no surprise to those who have paid close attention to the message general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have been sending this offseason.

The duo intends to turn Washington football into an aggressive, explosive, and - well - athletic brand that will have other NFL teams spending hours of time trying to figure out how to fully contain it.

However, as much work as the two did on bringing the top athletes in the draft to the Commanders the overall roster ranks just 20th in the NFL as it stands today.

"The Commanders had a highly athletic draft class, but they're still ranked 20th for their roster," Kent Lee Platte, the creator of RAS, tweeted recently. "The last three classes have been around this area or higher, so might be a renewed focus on athleticism there."

Certainly the two classes before Peters and Quinn's arrival brought athletes like wide receiver Jahan Dotson, running back Brian Robinson Jr., cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, and safety Quan Martin to Washington, but the style of play never truly emphasized the full athletic ability of those players.

This new staff plans to do that, and even more after bringing in their own batch of athletic rookies.

Cornerback Mike Sainristil had the lowest RAS of any Commanders draft pick, coming in at 8.51 out of a possible 10.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

Published May 26, 2024

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has covered the NFL since 2015 as a digital content creator in both written and audio media. He is the host of Locked On Commanders and a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His previous career was as a Military Working Dog Handler for the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.