With Jayden Daniels set up as the team's best asset for the foreseeable future, the Commanders drafted Conerly with the belief that they were providing their quarterback with an elite protector at the college level. Conerly excelled at that in Oregon, allowing just two sacks in the final two seasons with the Ducks. They also valued the type of competitor Conerly was and appreciated his dedication to improving his skill set.
"Just great feet, great lower body structure, great bend, and just super talented for a big man," Peters said after the team drafted Conerly. "And then you start hearing about the type of person he is, just human being. And then you hear about the type of football like person he is in terms of in the locker room, the leader, the worker, how routine oriented he is, how he's like a true pro already, despite being really young."
Tunsil agrees with all that and more.
"Just the way he moves, the way he bends," Tunsil said of Conerly. "He's athletic, smart, very intelligent. I think he's got all the tools to be a good player in this league."
Tunsil was one of the first players to reach out to Conerly after he was drafted and tried to FaceTime him that night. Conerly didn't get a chance to answer because of all the excitement that night, but Tunsil made it clear to the rookie that he wanted to help him succeed.
"I wanted to embrace him," Tunsil said. "Any questions you got, I'm here to help."