Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Yards	TD	YPC
Career		17	805	8	4.6
2025		17	805	8	4.6

Updated Mar 31, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

This Jacory Croskey-Merritt deal earns an A CVI grade and represents an absolute steal for Washington at just $1.1M annually over four years. Landing a rotational running back at this price point is shrewd roster construction, especially considering the Commanders secured multi-year control with minimal financial risk thanks to only $100K in guaranteed money. The contract structure is particularly savvy — Washington can evaluate Croskey-Merritt's development over multiple seasons without meaningful dead money exposure, giving them flexibility to either develop a valuable depth piece or move on cleanly. At this salary tier, the Commanders essentially acquired a lottery ticket on a player who could provide meaningful snaps in their backfield rotation while maintaining excellent roster flexibility. This is exactly the type of low-risk, high-upside move that exemplifies smart salary cap management for a rotational position.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the A band — a quick read on where Jacory's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Jacory Croskey-Merritt enters the league as an undrafted rookie carving out a depth role with the Washington Commanders at 25 years old. His overall grade sits at D+, though for an undrafted back earning carries in the NFL, the early returns aren't without promise. Against the historically brutal standard for rookie running backs breaking in without draft capital, he's showing enough to merit continued evaluation. His 4.60 yards per carry exceeds the NFL average of 4.10, a genuine bright spot that signals legitimate contact balance and vision between the tackles. His scoring rate of 0.47 rush touchdowns per game also clears the league average of 0.35, suggesting he converts opportunities near the goal line with modest efficiency. The concern lies in volume production — his 47.4 rushing yards per game trails the NFL average of 55.0, indicating he hasn't yet commanded the workload necessary to establish himself as a reliable weekly contributor. Croskey-Merritt profiles as a complementary back with a legitimate path to a rotational role if he sustains his per-carry efficiency while increasing touches. Watch his yards-per-carry trend across the second half of the season — if he holds above 4.5, he earns a longer audition. His ceiling likely sits as a reliable change-of-pace back in Washington's offense, comparable to the developmental arcs of other undrafted backs who outperformed their draft status through consistency.

How Jacory Compares at the Position

Jacory Croskey-Merritt ranks 27th of 181 graded running backs by performance. That slots Jacory between Quinshon Judkins (C-) just ahead and Chase Brown (D+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Jacory Croskey-Merritt enters the 2026 season as a developmental depth back for the Washington Commanders, carrying the modest profile of a roster-fringe player on a minimum-level contract with limited NFL production to his name. Head coach Dan Quinn has publicly outlined a year-two developmental plan for Croskey-Merritt, signaling organizational belief in his upside, but that optimism is tempered by reports of him sitting out practice reps — a detail that raises durability and competition concerns. Fantasy football analysts have noted a downward trend in his ADP, reflecting the broader market's skepticism about his near-term role in Washington's backfield hierarchy. The emergence of a reported challenger for his roster spot adds further uncertainty, suggesting the Commanders are actively evaluating their options at the position rather than committing to Croskey-Merritt as a locked-in contributor. Overall, media and fan perception heading into 2026 is cautiously skeptical — he retains a developmental narrative and coaching-staff goodwill, but the weight of evidence points to a player fighting for his roster spot rather than ascending toward a featured role.