There's a good chance Jacory Croskey-Merritt would not have been a Day 3 pick had he either played more in 2024 or even entered the NFL Draft after the 2023 season.
Croskey-Merritt, who spent his last college season at Arizona, does not have the same name recognition as first-round pick Ashton Jeanty or Omarion Hampton, but the Alabama native put up respectable numbers in his last full season. He had 1,190 yards on 189 carries at New Mexico and scored 17 touchdowns, which ranked fifth among FBS running backs in 2023.
But questions about Croskey-Merritt's eligibility led to him playing just one game for Arizona in 2024, and his name got lost in a deep running back class. He was still on the team, but all he could do was practice and attend meetings while his teammates were allowed to play on Saturdays.
Croskey-Merritt said it was a difficult time -- one that tested him on several levels -- but he appreciates the lessons he learned while watching from the sidelines.
"Just facing adversity," Croskey-Merritt said. "That was the biggest thing. I feel like I got past that pretty well. I had God and my family on my side the whole time."
"He turned a situation that was unfortunate into a real positive."
It was a frustrating moment for Croskey-Merritt, who was pulled from participating in games after putting up 106 yards and a touchdown for Arizona in Week 1. The only thing he could do was practice, and rather than give up on the year, he poured everything into what he could do to help his team win games. He was attentive in meetings and still prepared as if he was going to play, which earned praise from Arizona's coaching staff.
It also got the Commanders' attention during their draft process.
"He turned a situation that was unfortunate into a real positive," said assistant general manager Lance Newmark. "You talk to the people at Arizona and you talk to him when he was here, and they have so much respect for how he stayed engaged the whole way through the season. He was a great teammate; was a great practice player; was in meetings. It was like he knew he wasn't going to play on Saturday, but you would never know it by the way he acted and prepared."
It also helped him stay in shape during the season so that he would be ready whenever he got to play in another game. That moment came during the East-West Shrine Bowl, and he rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown. That performance led to him being named the all-star game's Offensive MVP.
"Practicing every day, lifting weights with the team every day and just being in meetings," Croskey-Merritt said. "I wasn't able to play on Saturday, but I was doing everything that the team did. So, I was in shape."
"You gotta be elite."
Croskey-Merritt said after he was drafted that last season "challenged me to a different level," and it showed him just how much he loved the game.
"I feel I've grown the most just learning the game," Croskey-Merritt said. "Just being able to just be a mature runner. Being an older guy, I just feel like I got a very good feel for the game."
That growth has been valuable over the past month as he has gotten acclimated to being an NFL player. He's gotten a better grasp of "what's gonna work and what not gonna work in this league." He's looking forward to competing with fellow running backs Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, but he's also ready to learn so he can become a complete player.
That's going to take an even higher level of dedication than he showed last year.
"You gotta be elite," Croskey-Merritt said. "This is the highest level of football, and you want to do everything right."
And that work will help him bring something different to the Commanders' backfield.
"I consider myself a versatile back," Croskey-Merritt said. "So, I want to be able to do everything that's needed to be great at this level."
