ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Beefing up the protection for franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
Audible cheers could be heard inside the team facility before the pick was announced in person at the draft in Green Bay. General manager Adam Peters said he and his staff were holding their breath hoping Conerly, “clearly the highest player on our board” would still be there.
“Everybody was just really pumped to get him,” Peters said. “He’s really the total package. You look at the tape and you see what an incredible athlete he is. ... Just great feet, great lower-body structure — super talented for a big man”
Taking Conerly upgrades the line in front of Daniels, who was sacked three times in the NFC title game loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. It's the latest upgrade building around Daniels after Peters acquired standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil from Houston and traded for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
“Every move we make, we’re trying to maximize him and really the whole team,” Peters said.
Taking Conerly also comes after the division-rival New York Giants selected edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick. Conerly and Oregon beat Carter and Penn State last season, and his performance in that game contributed to the Commanders valuing the 21-year-old.
“They way he competed against Abdul Carter, he went toe to toe with Abdul Carter, the best pass rusher in the draft,” Peters said. “He played really well.”
A 6-foot-5, 311-pounder from Seattle, Conerly started 14 games at left tackle for the Ducks as a junior last season. He said it “means the world” to get a chance to play in front of Daniels and try to keep him upright.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity just to get out there and block for one of the best,” Conerly said.
Conerly was a third-team AP All-America selection and first-team all Big Ten. He could move to the right side after the Commanders n last month and should compete for a starting spot.
“Whatever’s asked, that’s what I’m doing,” said Conerly, who did not hesitate when asked about potentially playing right tackle. "Hey, if that’s what I’ve got to do, that’s what I’ve got to do.”
The Commanders went offensive line over help in the secondary, at linebacker or at defensive end. They did not trade back out of the first round like others did just ahead of them, stockpiling picks later in this draft and in future years.
“We got a ton of calls when we were on the clock,” Peters said. “If he was on the board, we weren’t going to trade back. In our minds it was not worth risking missing out on him.”
Team co-owner Magic Johnson expressed his approval on social media, posting: “Commanders Nation I’m truly excited about our pick OT Josh Conerly Jr. from Oregon. Welcome to the DMV!”
Peters said Daniels got woken up by the call informing him Conerly was the pick.
“He went back to bed,” Peters said. “He’s happy.”
Sitting at 29 was the latest Washington has waited to make a draft pick since No. 44 in 2014, when the team did not have its first-rounder because of the trade to move up to select Robert Griffin III second in 2012.
After trading for Tunsil and Samuel, the Commanders have four picks the rest of the draft: one each in the second (61st), fourth (128th), sixth (205th) and seventh (245th) rounds. Peters said he did not feel pressure to put an emphasis on defense.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
