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The Washington Commanders have several needs heading into the offseason. With plenty of cap space and a potential top-five pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Commanders have the means to make a significant jump — again. After going 12-5 last season, Washington is 4-12 heading into Sunday's regular-season finale at Philadelphia.
General manager Adam Peters will have his hands full rebuilding the defense. The Commanders could have as many as seven or eight new starters on that side of the ball. Changes on the offense will not be as drastic. The Commanders are counting on quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin being fully healthy and the second year of an offensive line that has become a team strength.
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Peters will need to add more playmakers for Daniels. Does one of those playmakers include a running back?
There's no doubt that Washington struck gold with seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt. In a part-time role this season, Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill, has rushed for 776 yards and eight touchdowns. He's averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. He's done so in a timeshare with Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols.
But has Bill done enough to prove to Peters that he should be atop the running back depth chart in 2026?
Former Washington coach Jay Gruden isn't so sure yet.
"After that Charger game, I thought he was going to emerge as the true No. 1 guy there," Gruden said on a recent episode of the "Kevin Sheehan Show" on Team 980 in Washington, D.C.
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"He's going to like just get 15, 20, 25 carries a game and that didn't happen. He kind of like went the other way. It was kind of weird. He looked good on Thursday. He's had some moments of looking like he's got a really good burst and can run through tackles. But there's something there that I just feel like he's missing. I don't know it it's pass protection, catching the ball out of the backfield, consistency and reading holes, I don't know. Jury's still out for me on him."
The Charger game Gruden referenced saw Croskey-Merritt carry the ball 14 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. After that game, Croskey-Merritt's production decreased over the next eight games, and so did his opportunities. In the Week 15 win over the New York Giants, Bill carried the ball 18 times for 96 yards and one touchdown. He scored another touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, before rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns in last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Gruden believes Croskey-Merritt is a keeper for Washington, but isn't yet convinced he's a lead back. That's a fair evaluation. If Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is available when the Commanders pick, they may have a tough decision to make. Love in the backfield behind a healthy Jayden Daniels could be lethal to defend.
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This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Has Jacory Croskey-Merritt shown enough?
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