If there’s a player who knows a tough running back when he sees one, it’s future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner.
After Jacory Croskey-Merritt became a household name in the Commanders‘ Week 5 win over the Chargers, Wagner told me that he’s sensed qualities that make the seventh-round rookie special since shortly after the team drafted him.
“He’s a tough runner,” Wagner told me. “He’s patient. As a tackler, it’s tough when you have a patient guy because he’s reading the gaps like you are. And as soon as you pop around, he finds that gap and hits it.
“He’s special. Very mature.”
While those around Croskey-Merritt praised his demeanor, he was star-struck for a brief moment following Sunday’s win over the Chargers. He won the LFG Player of the Game and spoke with Tom Brady, struggling to contain his excitement.
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt 🏆 Week 5 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn echoed Wagner’s sentiments, saying Croskey-Merritt first appeared on his radar watching practices from the Shine Bowl in the lead up to this year’s draft. Croskey-Merritt finished as the MVP of the college all-star game, rushing for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
“Our scouts turned over every rock and were very thorough throughout this process,” Lynn told me about Croskey-Merritt’s journey to Washington. “He grew on me in the workouts at the all-star game.
“The first practices were a little rough, but I noticed he got better every practice after that. I liked his ability to fail up. He made mistakes, but he learned from his mistakes and was the best version of himself on game day. If he maintains that attitude, he will have a very high ceiling.”
Lynn went on to say Croskey-Merritt reminds him of Thomas Jones, a bulldozer of a runner when he served as the running backs coach for the New York Jets. That style helped Croskey-Merritt become a preseason standout before he had his breakout game in Week 5, rushing for 111 yards and a score in the 27-10 win over the Chargers.
“I can make plays when my name is called,” Croskey-Merritt said when asked what his breakout performance showed the league. “Obviously, I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I feel like this is just the beginning, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more to show.”
The Commanders traded running back Brian Robinson just before the start of the regular season in part to clear a path to more playing time for Croskey-Merritt. Veteran running back Austin Ekeler’s season-ending torn Achilles tendon injury helped move him up the depth chart.
However, through the first four games of the season, Croskey-Merritt was only a part of a Washington running back committee that included Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols. Croskey-Merritt averaged eight touches a game and totaled 172 yards through the first four weeks of the season.
But head coach Dan Quinn unlocked the possibility of Croskey-Merritt emerging as the lead back in this group against the Chargers. Croskey-Merritt only had 27 snaps, but touched the ball 16 times against the Chargers. He leads all rookies with four rushing touchdowns and ranks fourth this season with 283 rushing yards this season. He also leads the NFL with a 6.6 per carry average.
Jacory Croskey-Merrit has made the most of his touches so far this season, rushing for two touchdowns against the Commanders on Sunday. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“I really felt him,” Quinn said after the game. “You heard us say that might happen when somebody is hot and they’ll take more reps to go. As it turns out, he had the most today and we will continue to build and see where we take it from here. The more effective you can run it, then the play-[action] passes come alive and it’s an enormous deal for us.”
Croskey-Merritt took a circuitous path to the NFL. A frivolously recruited participant out of highschool, Croskey-Merritt stayed residence and performed 4 seasons at Alabama State, ending with 1,164 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Croskey-Merritt later transferred to New Mexico and was productive, posting 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns in a single season there. He transferred to Arizona final 12 months, however performed just one sport, dashing for 106 yards and a landing in opposition to his former Lobos teammates, earlier than being suspended for an eligibility difficulty.
Nicknamed Invoice, Croskey-Merritt stored his head shaved at a younger age. That look, coupled with a perpetual smile, had associates calling him “Little Invoice,” after the favored Invoice Cosby cartoon.
Alongside along with his maturity as a runner, one factor that stands out with Croskey-Merritt is his explosive operating capability. In response to Subsequent Gen Stats, Croskey-Merritt compelled six missed tackles, leading to 55 extra yards in opposition to the Chargers in Week 5, essentially the most allowed by the Chargers protection to any operating again this season.
“We’re simply going to maintain growing him,” Quinn instructed reporters. “I’m not placing a restrict or a play depend on it. We’re going to work our ass off to assist him turn out to be the most effective participant he can. That doesn’t occur in a single week. However we’re going to maintain working. We’re simply not backing off on that. And we expect there’s quite a lot of upside and excessive ceiling for him.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Comply with him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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