Josh Conerly Jr continues to take steps at RT for Washington.

He’s allowed just two pressures the last two weeks combined (63 pass pro snaps), and hasn’t given up a sack in nearly a month.

Been under a ton of heat in his rookie year but the execution is getting there. Slowly…

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) November 16, 2025

The 2025 NFL season hasn’t gone as planned for the Washington Commanders. Washington has lost six straight games and arrives at the bye week with a 3-8 record. It’s a far cry from where everyone expected the Commanders to be after last season’s surprising 12-5 record and NFC Championship game appearance.

You can blame some of Washington’s issues on injuries, player regression, or other things, but ultimately, anything that could go wrong for the Commanders in 2025 has gone wrong. It was completely the opposite last season.

How have Washington’s rookies fared this season? Much has been made of first-round pick Josh Conerly’s struggles. The rookie offensive tackle was put to the test immediately, having to face Brian Burns (Giants), Micah Parsons (Packers) and Maxx Crosby (Raiders) in his first three NFL games. While he’s certainly struggled at times, he’s also shown signs of improvement.

What about the rest of the class? Remember, the Commanders only selected five players in the 2025 NFL draft. Using Pro Football Focus, we look at the grades for each of Washington’s rookies, including some of our analysis.

OT Josh Conerly Jr: 54.2

Ignore the overall grade. Conerly has played well, especially recently. One of the knocks on Conerly coming into his rookie season was his play strength. He needed time to adjust. Remember, he’s only 21 and was playing a new position. Conerly had always played left tackle until the Commanders moved him to the right side. While some fans immediately want to bash GM Adam Peters when someone isn’t an immediate star, have some patience. Conerly will be a building block for a long time.

CB Trey Amos: 55.8

The second-round pick had started all 10 games before fracturing his fibula in the Week 10 loss to Detroit. Amos wasn’t perfect, but he was Washington’s best cornerback this season. Sure, that may be a low bar, but Amos played well. He has good size and length, and looked more competent than veteran Marshon Lattimore or second-year cornerback Mike Sainristil. Amos, like Conerly, should be a long-term building block.

WR Jaylin Lane: 62.7 (WR), 55.2 (special teams)

Adam Peters called Lane the best punt returner in the draft. The Commanders wanted to use Lane at receiver, but not in a featured role as a rookie. They’ve had to lean on him more than initially planned because of all the injuries. Lane has been up and down. He’s shown the ability to create separation and make plays downfield. He’s also dealt with drops. As a punt returner, Lane is averaging a very respectable 12.4 yards per return and has a 90-yard touchdown return. The Commanders recently used Lane as a kick returner, and it did not go well. He had a critical fumble that led to a touchdown. Lane has flashed big-play potential; now, he needs consistency.

LB Kain Medrano: 75.0 (special teams)

The sixth-round rookie linebacker hasn’t played a lot, appearing in only three games — all on special teams. He did make a nice play in Week 11. Medrano has terrific speed. The knock on him coming out was his tackling. When you have Medrano’s combination of size and speed, you can work on tackling. The Commanders should be in evaluation mode for the remainder of the season. Medrano should get some time on defense so they can see if he can help there, or if he’ll be used exclusively on special teams.

RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt: 68.2

Croskey-Merritt was the story of training camp. Coaches and teammates praised him. The seventh-round rookie was ready for an immediate impact and did not disappoint, twice winning the NFL Rookie of the Week award (Lane won it once). However, since beating the Chargers in Week 5, Croskey-Merritt has struggled. He’s averaged 3.6 yards per rush or less in each of the last six games. Chris Rodriguez Jr. has taken more of Croskey-Merritt’s snaps. Washington isn’t disappointed with him. With all of the receiver injuries, opponents crowded the line of scrimmage, and as a result, the running game struggled. There were signs of hope in Week 11. For the year, Croskey-Merritt has 498 rushing yards (4.4 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. That’s still impressive, especially for a seventh-round pick.