Josh Conerly Jr.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Commanders secured solid value by locking up Josh Conerly Jr. at $3.9M AAV over four years with full guarantees, earning a C+ CVI that reflects a fair deal for a developing offensive tackle. While Conerly's current production profile remains unproven at the NFL level, Washington is betting on the upside of a young tackle who showed promise during his limited opportunities. The fully guaranteed structure of this $15.7M deal carries minimal risk given the relatively modest annual value, essentially giving the Commanders a four-year window to develop what could become an above-average starter on the offensive line. At his age, Conerly is entering the prime development years for offensive linemen, where significant improvement is not only possible but expected with proper coaching and experience. This contract represents smart roster building by Washington — they're paying replacement-level to solid starter money for a player who could easily outperform this deal if he continues his trajectory. The Commanders addressed a position of need without breaking the bank, and if Conerly develops into a reliable starter, this contract will look like a steal in two years.

Performance Analysis

Josh Conerly Jr. is a first-year offensive tackle for the Washington Commanders, a rookie working to carve out a foothold along one of the most scrutinized position groups in the NFL. With just 17 career games under his belt, he sits squarely in the developing player tier — showing enough promise to earn snaps at the professional level, but still very much in the early stages of building the kind of resume that defines reliable starters in this league. For offensive linemen, availability is the cornerstone of value, and Conerly's limited sample makes it genuinely difficult to draw firm conclusions about his durability or consistency over a full season's grind. What the Commanders are evaluating right now is not just his technique and athleticism, but whether he can stay healthy and hold a starting assignment through the physical punishment that accumulates across a 17-week schedule. His C+ grade reflects a player who has flashed developmental upside without yet demonstrating the sustained performance or iron-man dependability that elevates tackles into meaningful roster cornerstones. Washington will need to see him string together consecutive healthy, productive games before entrusting him with a permanent role protecting a quarterback's blind side at this level. The next 12 to 18 months represent a pivotal window — if Conerly can stack experience, refine his technique against elite pass rushers, and stay on the field, the trajectory from developing prospect to legitimate starter is well within reach.

Current Sentiment

Josh Conerly Jr. enters the 2026 NFL season as one of the more intriguing young offensive linemen in the NFC East, having been selected by the Washington Commanders with clear organizational intent to build around him as a long-term cornerstone of the offensive line. Early media reception was largely enthusiastic, with analysts praising the pick as a high-upside selection and identifying Conerly as the headliner of Washington's draft class. Commanders brass, including GM Adam Peters, signaled a best-player-available philosophy that underscored the franchise's confidence in Conerly's developmental ceiling rather than filling an immediate positional need. However, at least one prominent outlet characterized the selection as a disappointing use of a first-round investment, introducing a note of skepticism that tempers the otherwise optimistic narrative surrounding his arrival. As a rookie with no NFL regular-season experience, Conerly's perception remains firmly in the promising-but-unproven category, and his trajectory heading into 2026 will hinge heavily on how quickly he translates his physical tools into consistent, high-level play at the professional level.