The Washington Commanders‘ offense has been very fluid this year. Injuries to Jayden Daniels and Austin Ekeler have drastically impacted the flow of the unit through the first month of the season, which has opened the door for new faces to contribute in a big way in 2025.
One of those names has been rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who has produced one eye-popping stat through the first four games of his NFL career.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is PFF’s Highest Graded Runner Through the First Four Weeks of the 2025 NFL Season
Entering the 2025 NFL season, Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt was being touted as a potential breakout candidate in this Washington offense behind a revamped offensive line.
Well, one stat that suggests he is delivering on that hype is his rushing grade of 90.6 from Pro Football Focus — which is the highest mark of any ball carrier through the first month of the 2025 NFL season.
For some additional context, the next four highest runners are Najee Harris, James Cook, Cam Skattebo, and Kenneth Walker III. Of those names, Croskey-Merritt has only seen more carries than Harris — who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos.
On the season, Merritt’s numbers don’t jump off the screen with just 172 rushing yards and two scores on just 29 carries. Yet, his 5.93 yards per carry ranks behind only Travis Etienne of players with more than 15 carries on the season.
Croskey-Merritt’s 3.97 yards after contact per attempt is barely behind Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, who has been among the best ball carriers in the NFL this season.
These numbers don’t necessarily mean that Croskey-Merritt is the best runner in the league, but it does paint a rather strong case for an expanded role in this offense moving forward.
Should Jacory Croskey-Merritt be Seeing Much More Work in this Commanders’ Offense Moving Forward?
Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus took to X to post the current status of the Commanders‘ backfield after their 34-27 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.
Jahnke wrote, “Commanders final RB snap count Jacory Croskey–Merritt 20 Chris Rodriguez Jr. 20 Jeremy McNichols 19 Out of 57 plays.”
Currently, the Commanders rotation at running back paints a clear picture the coaching staff is a taking a committee approach to this backfield at this time.
Sure, Croskey-Merritt has been highly efficient, but Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols haven’t exactly played poorly.
McNichols is actually averaging more yards per carry than Croskey-Merritt at 10.6 — which is inflated by his 60-yard touchdown run in Week 3 — and Rodriguez’s current mark sits at 5.4 yards per rushing attempt.
Perhaps the Commanders simply don’t trust Croskey-Merritt in protection quite yet, but that makes it rather odd that he is the only active running back on the roster with a reception this season.
Another encouraging sign for the talented rookie runner is the knee injury that cost him time on the practice field this week didn’t impact his performance against the Falcons — where he rushed for 47 yards on seven carries.
Is Croskey-Merritt making a strong case for an expanded role in this offense with his performance on the field to start his NFL career? Yes.
When, if ever, will the coaching staff give Croskey-Merritt a leading role in this backfield this season? Only time will tell.
One Stat Suggests Jacory Croskey-Merritt Has Been an Elite Ball Carrier in 2025