Commanders’ surging rookie turned a rough start into a promising finish that could be a sign for the future

Rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. showed the Commanders he was the right pick in the first round after playing every snap this season, and bounced back with a strong finish.

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
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The Washington Commanders’ 2025 season was one to forget on many levels, but there were still promising takeaways to build off of moving forward.

There have already been major changes, especially on offense, with the Commanders moving on from Kliff Kingsbury and promoting David Blough. The team still has plenty more changes on the way as they add and replace players this offseason, but there’s one spot they won’t have to worry about.

Rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. had a rough start to his NFL career, but he showed the Commanders that he can be a staple piece of the offense for years to come.

Josh Conerly Jr. made a strong impression in his rookie year

Being a rookie in the NFL isn’t easy, and sometimes it just takes time, but Conerly Jr. didn’t have time; he needed to start right away. Not only did he start day one, but he played every single offensive snap this season, which is beyond impressive. He never got hurt, and he never lost his step despite a rough start, and he finished the year strong.

Playing every single snap is something to be proud of, and not every first-round pick can say that they accomplished that in their rookie season. He was thrown into the fire, and started his NFL career against the best of the best, which helped him get even better in the second half of the season.

Josh Conerly Jr. bounced back after a rough start

Conerly Jr. had to line up against the best in the league in his first three starts, and it was a rough start, but it showed him what to expect in the NFL. He had to lineup across Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Micah Parsons in the first two games of the season, and he allowed four sacks and 11 pressures. Then, he had a clean stat sheet against Maxx Crosby and didn’t allow a single sack or pressure. In the last 14 games of the season, Conerly Jr. only allowed four sacks and 32 pressures and showed that he can be trusted on the right side of the line.

Conerly Jr. just turned 22 years old in November, so he’s still a raw prospect who had to learn on the fly and get some help from veteran offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. We saw the flashes from Conerly Jr, and his ability to move out in space, which should be a big part of Blough’s offense, and he can add more core strength to become a top offensive tackle moving forward.

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