When it comes to the Washington Commanders' 2025 NFL Draft class, most of the attention will be on the team's first two picks. First-round offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and second-round cornerback Trey Amos are both likely to be key contributors from Day 1.
The three players Washington selected later on in the draft have flown a bit under the radar. Wide receiver Jaylin Lane, linebacker Kain Medrano, and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt will need to earn their roles on the team, likely to enter training camp buried on the depth chart.
According to Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, at least one of them has a very good chance of emerging as a late-round steal.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt projected to have"Alfred Morris-like" impact for Commanders
The running back position is perhaps the easiest one for a late-round or undrafted player to have success. Every season, there seems to be at least a handful of names who emerge from obscurity to become their team's top option out of the backfield by the end of the year.
The Commanders have had their fair share of such players over the years. Rob Kelley was a brief fan-favorite, rushing for 700 yards in 2016 as an undrafted rookie. Fifth-rounder Chris Thompson was a productive member of the team for several years, primarily as a third-down pass-catching option. Fourth-rounder Roy Helu Jr. was at one point believed to be the future of Washington's backfield following the departure of longtime workhorse Clinton Portis.
The most successful Washington backfield steal in recent times has to be Alfred Morris. The Florida Atlantic product was a Week 1 starter as a sixth-round pick in 2012. While all the attention was on NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III, he quietly put up one of the best seasons in league history by a first-year rusher.
Morris plowed his way to 1,613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He earned Pro Bowl honors and was named a second-team All-Pro, astonishing achievements from the unheralded pick.
Comparing Croskey-Merritt to Morris may seem like quite the hot take, but it's not impossible. As Trapasso writes of the former Arizona standout:
"Runners with his size, vision and particularly, explosiveness -- 4.45-second 40-yard dash and 41.5-inch vertical -- are rarely available in Round 7."
Chris Trapasso
Croskey-Merritt will enter the season as the third-string running back on Washington's depth chart, behind Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. Given that both are pending free agents in 2026, the Commanders might be wise to give their rookie an extended run to gauge whether or not they already have their long-term answer at the position.
Overall, Trapasso projects Washington's rookie class to be the 10th-most impactful in the NFL. If a player selected as late as Croskey-Merritt can turn into a quality starter, Commanders fans will look back very kindly at the group Adam Peters and his staff selected.
