Jayden Daniels launched the Washington Commanders into the Super Bowl conversation. Now, an under-the-radar offseason addition is making his supporting cast even scarier. The Commanders must find a solution with Terry McLaurin over his contract holdout. It will happen eventually, but in the meantime, Washington has found other ways to level up the offense.
Remember the name, Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Washington's seventh-round rookie entered his first season with a mountain to climb as he joined a backfield featuring Brian Johnson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. However, Croskey-Merritt is turning heads at training camp and has already received high praise from head coach Dan Quinn.
"It's the violence of the cuts. That he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast," said Quinn, via Commanders reporter Ben Standig.
And don't just take Quinn's word for it. Croskey-Merritt is catching everyone's attention on the practice field.
"There's just something about Jacory Croskey-Merritt," writes Scott Abraham of 7News DC. "I have a feeling the Commanders rookie RB is going to be special. He jumps off the screen."
Jacory Croskey-Merritt's rise places immediate pressure on Commanders RB Austin Ekeler
It will take some effort to unseat Austin Ekeler as Washington's No. 2 running back, but Croskey-Merritt will have his eyes set firmly on the third spot. Beyond that, who knows?
Ekeler put up 733 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in his debut season with the Commanders, and while he earned second-team All-Pro honors for his work on special teams, his offensive production is on the decline. If that trend continues, it might not take long for Croskey-Merritt to crank up the pressure.
The rookie slipped under the radar during the draft process, in part because he only played one game in 2024 after the NCAA revoked his eligibility. A season earlier, he rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns for New Mexico.
Having overcome the frustration of sitting on the sidelines last year, Croskey-Merritt's stock is sharply ascending. It started in the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he won the MVP award after rushing for 97 yards and two touchdowns at 8.8 yards per attempt.
Croskey-Merritt later earned an elite Relative Athletic Score of 8.29, showing signs of his speed and explosiveness.
The rookie is now maximizing his minutes on the practice field, beginning with a standout performance at OTAs and minicamp, and again here at training camp.
"Croskey-Merritt is not coming to settle for a secondary role. He aims to make an immediate impact on the offensive rotation and make a lasting contribution in whatever role is assigned by the coaching staff," writes Dean Jones of Riggo's Rag.
Remember the name.