The Washington Commanders might have found a gem when they drafted running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round.
Croskey-Merritt was projected to be taken much higher by analysts, but eligibility issues that caused him to miss almost all of the 2024 season, plus the overall depth of the running back class, forced him to fall late into Day 3. His stats with New Mexico in 2023 -- the last time he played a full season -- should be enough to get Commanders fans excited, though, as he rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Here are five of his best plays from that season.
Croskey-Merritt shows quick feet on 27-yard touchdown against Texas A&M
If you're a fan of quick feet, you're going to love this play from Croskey-Merritt.
New Mexico's 2023 season began with a challenging matchup against No. 23 Texas A&M. The Aggies pulled away for a 52-10 victory, but Croskey-Merritt had a solid day with 50 yards on 11 carries and a shifty touchdown in the second quarter.
With New Mexico at Texas A&M's 27-yard line, they decided to hand the ball off to Croskey-Merritt. The broadcast angle shows him bursting through the Aggies' defense for a touchdown, but the tight angle shows just how impressive he was on the play. Croskey-Merritt almost got tripped up by an offensive lineman's feet at the start of the play, but he made a quick juke before cutting upfield through a crease in the Aggies' defensive front.
Croskey-Merritt still has to prove himself as a seventh-round pick, but he at least has the athleticism to earn a roster spot.
Croskey-Merritt bowls through defenders for 18-yard run
Croskey-Merritt has a solid frame at 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds, and he knows how to use it to shrug off defenders.
It was another case of Croskey-Merritt performing well in a loss in New Mexico's 2023 matchup against Boise State, as he scored both of the team's touchdowns in a 42-14 defeat. His most impressive run, however, had nothing to do with getting into the end zone. It was first-and-10 at New Mexico's 32-yard line when Croskey-Merritt found a running lane in the Broncos' defense. He juked a player at the line of scrimmage, dragged another across the first-down marker and carried a few more for an extra three yards.
It was recorded as an 18-yard run -- Croskey-Merritt's longest of the day. So, not only can he make defenders miss, but he can also run through them if necessary.
Croskey-Merritt goes off for 231 yards against Utah State
Technically, this is a whole game as opposed to one play, but Croskey-Merritt has so many good moments in New Mexico's 2023 finale against Utah State that it's hard to leave any out.
Obviously, the stats show that Croskey-Merritt had a good day. He rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries, both of which were career highs, but his first explosive run didn't come until near the end of the first quarter. Most of Croskey-Merritt's day was spent fighting for tough yards and breaking tackles for small gains to keep New Mexico's offense churning down the field.
Croskey-Merritt didn't get much free space against Utah State, but he made them pay when he got the opportunity. It took until three minutes left in the third quarter for him to break loose, and it resulted in a 22-yard touchdown that pulled New Mexico with three points of tying the score.
New Mexico ended the game with a double overtime loss, but it was a strong end for Croskey-Merritt, who also surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in the contest.
Croskey-Merritt rips 50-yard run against Fresno State
While New Mexico's season finale didn't end well, its final road trip of the 2023 season worked out in their favor. Croskey-Merritt played a big role in getting the 23-17 victory with another 200-yard game and the second-longest touchdown run of his career.
New Mexico was trailing Fresno State, 14-6, when Croskey-Merritt found a gaping hole in the Bulldogs' defense. He made one cut at the line of scrimmage, turned upfield and sprinted into the secondary. It looked like he would be sandwiched between two defensive backs, but he cut behind them and continued running up the sideline and dove across the goal line.
Croskey-Merritt had an even better day one week later, but at the time, it was the best rushing performance of his career. It was his sixth multi-touchdown game of the season, bringing his season total to 16.
Croskey-Merritt scores 55-yard touchdown against Tennessee Tech
New Mexico bounced back from the Week 1 loss to Texas A&M with a 56-10 rout against Tennessee Tech. Croskey-Merritt had a strong day with 162 yards on just 12 carries with three touchdowns, one of which was the longest run of his career.
New Mexico already had the game in hand by the third quarter with a 28-10 lead, but Croskey-Merritt put any hopes of a comeback to rest. On second-and-3, he ran past almost all of Tennessee Tech's defense and went untouched for 55 yards for another score.
That was the end of Croskey-Merritt's day. He accounted for 54% of New Mexico's 296 rushing yards, but if you break his carries down even further, he gained over 100 yards on just three carries, all of which resulted in touchdowns.
