Commander Country

Commanders Rookie Class Among NFL's Worst?

The Washington Commanders had an underwhelming finish to the season, but how did this year's rookie class perform?

Adam Schultz

The Washington Commanders finished the season with an 8-8-1 record. After being in with a good chance of securing playoff football, they fell at the final hurdle.

With the season now over, looking back, were there some good things to happen for Commanders rookies? Is there at least something for the franchise to hand their hats on?

ESPN didn't like what it saw from Washington's rookie class, ranking it 28th out of 32 across the NFL.

Let's take a look at the rookie class and each player's contributions this season ...

One name that was picked from the fire this season was defensive tackle John Ridgeway. Initially taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round, Ridgeway found himself on the Commanders' roster midway through September.

What followed was 15 games for the rookie (four of which were starts) and managed some decent snap counts throughout the season—a decent pickup for sure.

Both defensive backs in Percy Butler and Christian Holmes, saw most of their snaps come on special teams, although Butler played 58 defensive snaps in the Week 18 win over the Cowboys. Holmes did start back-to-back games against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants so there is room to grow for the two rookies as they head into their second NFL season.

Phidarian Mathis, the second-round defensive tackle managed just three defensive snaps in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars as a knee injury cost him his season.

That takes care of defense and special teams, now the offense.

Running back Brian Robinson Jr. is a clear positive for Washington. After missing the opening four games due to the car-jacking incident in which he was shot, when Robinson finally made it onto the field, we saw his talent.

In 12 games, the third-round pick finished with 797 rushing yards and two touchdowns, with his brutal running style winning many over in the franchise—a superb find for Ron Rivera's team.

Next is wide receiver Jahan Dotson. Like Robinson Jr., Dotson also missed time in his rookie season (hamstring injury) but still managed 12 games. He finished with 523 yards and seven touchdowns (led the team) and averaged a whopping 14.9 yards per reception. That'll work.​ 

Then there is Sam Howell. He managed to get his first start in Week 18 against the Cowboys and performed well enough for Rivera to have a think about the quarterback position going forward.

Tight end Cole Turner saw the field, albeit briefly this season. The fifth round pick out of Nevada finished his rookie season with two catches for 23 yards. He managed to start back-to-back games against the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers

Offensive lineman Chris Paul got his first start in Week 18 and played all 66 snaps for Scott Turner's offense in what was his only action for the season.

Overall, it was a mixed bag for Rivera and his rookie draft class. There were some good elements and also some okay ones.

In Robinson Jr. and Dotson, it appears they have a big future in Washington and for Mathis, Butler and Holmes, they have got their feet wet in the NFL system and will look to make big strides in their second year.

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Adam Schultz
ADAM SCHULTZ

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