The Washington Commanders have taken the field for a good amount of their offseason workouts prior to training camp, but one Commanders rookie looks like a potential steal with his impressive performances early at minicamp.
Commanders Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt Generating Buzz Early at Minicamp
Dean Jones of Riggos Rag has been showering Washington Commanders rookie RB with praise throughout the offseason, which has included some encouraging words from his on-field performances at minicamp.
Jones wrote, “The Commanders believe Croskey-Merritt could be a steal. He’s done nothing to diminish these claims over early workouts, displaying the speed and explosiveness that is scattered right across his college production.”
When you flip on any tape of Croskey-Merritt, the first thing you notice is foot quickness. When you combine his quickness with quality vision and underrated top speed, then you quickly realize why it is so easy to excited about this rookie runner.
Jones added, “Early reports have been glowing around Croskey-Merritt over early workouts. His conviction to exploit gaps and his ability as a pass-catcher have caught the eye of those in attendance at OTAs. If the same trend continues, it will shake up the running back dynamic considerably.”
Croskey-Merritt had a great season in 2023 as a member of the New Mexico Lobos 1,262 total yards and 18 TDs from scrimmage and looked great in his lone game as a member of the Arizona Wildcats with 106 yards and a score on just 13 carries in 2024.
Jones believes his one game played last season was a contributing factor to his drop to the seventh round in the NFL Draft by writing, “Croskey-Merritt’s draft stock plummeted after having his eligibility revoked by the NCAA one game into his transfer to Arizona. Although disappointing, the backfield threat landed in a fantastic spot to gain immediate involvement.”
It didn’t help Croskey-Merritt’s draft stock that this crop of running backs was amongst the best we’ve seen in a decade with top prospects like Ashton Jeanty, Quinshon Judkins, and TreVeyon Henderson all earning high draft capital, which likely contributed to his fall to the Commanders late on Day 3.
Could Jacory Croskey-Merritt Steal the Leading Role Away From Brian Robinson Jr. in 2025?
When taking a closer look at the Washington rushing attack from 2024, Jones didn’t exactly give rave reviews about the production from Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.
Jones added, “The Commanders’ ground game regressed last season. Peters is giving those who contributed last season another go-around in the hope that Washington’s offensive line upgrades can help them become more consistent. If not, Croskey-Merritt is a nice insurance policy with the explosiveness needed to add an extra injection of energy.”
Robinson’s personal production didn’t exactly fall off a cliff last season, but he has been the definition of a high floor, low ceiling runner in Washington — finishing between 700-800 yards rushing in all three years of his NFL career.
Ekeler was a nice complement to Robinson, but was far from his Pro Bowl days with the Chargers last season.
If Croskey-Merritt can continue to impress at minicamp and delivers some explosive performances this preseason, then this Day 3 pick could not only prove to be a steal… but potentially steal the leading role in this backfield in 2025.
