Jacory Croskey-Merritt

ANALYSIS
When Paulsen asked six other Washington beat reporters to name the player that has stood out most at training camp, four of them named Croskey-Merritt immediately. He was merely a seventh-round pick in the 2025 Draft after eligibility issues limited him to one game at Arizona last year, but it sounds like the running back is already making a strong bid for the Week 1 roster, and possibly even for some touches early in the season. The Commanders have Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler atop their backfield depth chart, followed by Chris Rodriguez, Jeremy McNichols and others battling for depth roles. The first task for Croskey-Merritt this August is to get his foot in the door for the No. 3 running back role.