The Commanders have added further along the offensive line with their first-round pick. Washington has selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29.
Following Oregon teammate Derrick Harmon off the board in the 20s, Conerly represents the second big swing the Commanders have taken at tackle this offseason. They traded for Laremy Tunsil on Day 1 of free agency; on Day 1 of the draft, they have likely landed their other tackle.
A Washington O-line investment came up this week, and Conerly had been rumored as a target. Rather than potentially replacing Nick Allegretti at guard, the Commanders appear prepared to displace Andrew Wylie at right tackle. Wylie is returning but doing so after accepting a pay cut. The team is prepared to slide Brandon Coleman to the right side, but the 2024 third-round pick — a 12-game LT starter as a rookie — now looks more likely to end up as the Commanders’ swing tackle. Wylie has a past as a guard, but his future in the nation’s capital suddenly looks foggy.
Conerly will head to D.C. after elevating his stock during the Ducks’ Big Ten debut. Working as Oregon’s left tackle, Conerly finished as a first-team all-conference pick for a team that advanced to the CFP quarterfinals. Tunsil has not played anywhere but left tackle since giving way to Branden Albert as a Dolphins rookie in 2016, when he played guard, so Conerly will need to shift to the right side. Most of the tackles chosen in last year’s first round flipped sides, and Conerly will have a full offseason program to develop at RT.
The Commanders had worked with a Day 2 pick and a stopgap (Cornelius Lucas) at LT last season, with a middling veteran (Wylie) on the right side. After Jayden Daniels dazzled as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year, the franchise is serious about upgrading their new star QB’s edge protection. Although Conerly has much to learn at the pro level, Daniels will be in line to be better protected in 2025.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.