The Washington Commanders took a chance on running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt at No. 245 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. To say he's repaid this faith so far would be a massive understatement.
It's been a meteoric rise for Croskey-Merritt. He's gone from a Day 3 afterthought to a prominent feature in Washington's offensive strategy. And the hype reached a new level thanks to a blistering performance early in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Commanders were getting Croskey-Merritt involved a lot more. It took a while for the offense to click, but a forced fumble from safety Quan Martin that was recovered by cornerback Marshon Lattimore gave them an unlikely chance when hope was fading.
Commanders rookie Jacory Croskey-Merrit is proving he belongs
Washington put together a masterful drive. It was well-balanced, fluid, and aggressive. And unsurprisingly, it featured a heavy dose of the seventh-round rookie.
The decisiveness with which Croskey-Merritt runs the football is nothing short of outstanding. He's a firecracker out of the backfield, exploiting seams for significant gains with smooth contact balance. He's also got enough speed to bend around the edge, as evidenced by his touchdown run that got Washington back into the contest.
UNTOUCHED 🫨
📺 #WASvsLAC FOX pic.twitter.com/rJ4nhRT2gY
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 5, 2025
Croskey-Merritt has proven he belongs. He's proven capable of handling big-time responsibilities for an offense in desperate need of inspiration. More importantly, he's taking absolutely nothing for granted after overcoming genuine adversity to reach this point.
The first-year pro arguably has more buzz around him than any seventh-round pick since Brock Purdy, who was also drafted by a team where Adam Peters held influence in the front office. Croskey-Merritt appears to be an absolute steal, transforming his narrative through a supreme work ethic and seizing every moment. And the best part? He's just getting started.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is gradually increasing Croskey-Merritt's workload. But we're getting to the point where he must be unleashed as a focal point of Washington's ground attack.
Based on what fans have witnessed so far, the man they call Bill looks ready.
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