Commanders Rookie Could Breakout for Washington in 2025

The Washington Commanders hit a home run when they selected QB Jayden Daniels, who earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024.

Daniels led the team in rushing yards from the quarterback position last season, which makes one Commanders rookie running back a potential breakout option for a middling backfield entering the 2025 NFL season.

Commanders Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt Has Real Breakout Potential in 2025

The Washington Commanders offense hasn’t seen a running back rush for over 800 yards in a season since Antonio Gibson back in 2021. This lack of a true feature ball carrier opens the door for RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt entering his rookie year.

Croskey-Merritt saw his draft stock plummet after eligibility issues essentially robbed him of his final collegiate season in 2024, where he played just one game for the Arizona Wildcats before his college career abruptly ended.

Yet, Croskey-Merritt’s 106 rushing yards and a score over his 13 carries in 2024 showcased he could have had a breakout year in Arizona.

Instead, Croskey-Merritt may have an opportunity to breakout on the NFL stage if he manages to impress the coaching staff this preseason while working behind Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, both of which are entering the final year of their contracts.

Dean Jones of Riggo’s Rag touched on Croskey-Merritt’s outlook entering his rookie year after his unfortunate fall to Day of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jones wrote, “Croskey-Merritt was the No. 245 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft through no real fault of his own. The backfield threat saw his stock crash after having his eligibility revoked by the NCAA just one game into his transfer to Arizona. Not even winning Offensive MVP at the East-West Shrine Bowl could help change his narrative, but the Commanders saw something in him that others didn’t.”

Despite Croskey-Merritt’s standout performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl during the pre-draft process, his stock didn’t rise significantly, but could if he continues to impress like he has for the majority of the offseason team workouts.

Jones added, “The Commanders will take their time with Croskey-Merritt. It’s easy to get carried away at this stage of preparations, but it’s also worth remembering that he missed a lot of football last season and was a late Day 3 pick for a reason. Still, he’s off to a good start. Having the right attitude has helped smooth his transition. It’s also something that slots into the Commanders’ locker room culture shift seamlessly, so it’s no surprise to see glowing reviews over the extremely early stage of his development.”

Could a Strong Preseason from Croskey-Merritt Make Austin Ekeler Expendable?

Brian Robinson Jr. will enter the season as the projected leading ball carrier, but doesn’t exactly have a ton of job security after failing to top 800 yards rushing for a third straight year.

Additionally, Austin Ekeler was useful in a complementary role to Robinson but failed to top 400 yards rushing or receiving last season — which were the lowest marks we’ve seen from him since his rookie year back in 2017.

Croskey-Merritt has a similar build to Ekeler, which could make the veteran back expendable if the rookie has a strong preseason.

Croskey-Merritt does have an uphill climb to securing a consistent weekly role in this offense, but his vision and elite acceleration could prove to be a perfect combination working alongside Daniels behind a revamped offensive line to help take this Commanders’ rushing attack to new heights in 2025.