No Washington fan will ever forget Greg Zuerlein. It was on Christmas Eve 2023 when the veteran kicker crushed a 54-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to give the New York Jets a 30-28 win over the Washington Commanders.
That kick changed the course of Washington’s history. It made the Commanders’ GM and coaching jobs even more valuable and put the franchise in a position to draft LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The rest, they say, is history.
General manager Adam Peters moved around throughout the draft to add more selections, giving the Commanders three second-round picks and two third-round picks to build around Daniels. The results spoke for themselves. Daniels was phenomenal, leading Washington to a 12-5 season and two road playoff wins. He wasn’t just the best rookie quarterback in NFL history; many analysts and fans are already calling him a top-five quarterback.
So, just Daniels alone would give the Commanders an elite class, but add in contributions from others, such as cornerback Mike Sainristil (50th overall pick) and this was a franchise-changing class.
CBS Sports recently ranked all 32 2024 NFL draft classes. No surprise, Washington was No. 1. But how many “hits” did the Commanders have in Year 1?
Year 1 hits: QB Jayden Daniels, CB Mike Sainristil, OT Brandon Coleman
Daniels concluding his rookie season as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year pushes the Commanders over two of their NFC East rivals here. Sainristil was otherworldly at times — particularly in the playoffs — as a former slot cornerback playing on the perimeter, and Coleman held it down at left tackle as a rookie.
Regardless of whether you think Coleman is a true left tackle, right tackle, or guard, he’s a surefire starter in the NFL for a long time. And to land him in the third round was good business for Peters.
Daniels is the headliner, while Sainristil didn’t receive enough national attention for his outstanding play. He was often overlooked due to Philadelphia’s two rookie cornerbacks.
The Commanders’ three other Day 3 picks (DT Johnny Newton, TE Ben Sinnott and WR Luke McCaffrey) all played, with Newton playing the most. Newton had some standout moments, but will look to take another step in 2025. Sinnott and McCaffrey were further down the depth chart at their respective positions, but remain a big part of Washington’s future.