The Washington Commanders were thrilled when Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. fell to them with the 29th overall pick, and it's because he's one of the best when it comes to clearing lanes for running backs and protecting quarterbacks.

Conerly, an All-Big Ten selection, allowed just one sack and five pressures in 2024. That sack came in Week 2 against Boise State. He kept quarterback Dillon Gabriel off the ground for the rest of the season, allowing only two quarterback hits.

Conerly's 2024 campaign was full of exceptional blocks, but here are five of our favorite plays from Washington's newest offensive lineman last season.

Conerly plants Abdul Carter into the turf

Carter was one of the most fearsome pass rushers in college football last season and the best overall prospect in this year's draft, but even the No. 3 overall pick had trouble against Conerly.

Conerly matched up against Carter six times in the Big Ten Championship, and all of them ended with the pass-rusher being negated or washed out of the play. It was one of the best performances of Conerly's college career, and it stood out to general manager Adam Peters.

Although each of Conerly's six reps against Carter have their own unique appeal, the one where he plants Carter into the turf at the 39-yard line is perhaps the most satisfying.

Conerly secures key reach block against Wisconsin

Any offensive lineman playing in Kliff Kingsbury's scheme must be able to move in space, and Conerly has that area covered.

Oregon held on for a 16-13 victory against Wisconsin last season, and part of the reason for that was the 136 rushing yards they put on the Badgers' defense. On one particular play, Conerly was one of the main reasons Jordan James broke free on an outside zone run. After getting a chip block from his tight end, Conerly worked his hips around the defensive end, sealed him off and allowed Jordan James to gain five yards on the play.

James rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in the game, and he has Conerly to thank for that success.

Conerly helps break Patrick Herbert free on a screen pass

Regardless of when Conerly gets on the field, part of his responsibilities will be to block defensive backs on screens. Once again, Conerly has shown he has the athleticism to get the job done.

Three games prior to Oregon squeaking out a win over Wisconsin, they ran away with a dominant 38-9 win over Illinois. In that game, tight end Patrick Herbert had two receptions for 48 yards, and his biggest gain -- a 29-yard pickup in the third quarter -- happened partially because of Conerly. It required solid technique from the left tackle, as he faked blocking the defensive lineman before moving upfield to the defensive back.

There wasn't much contact, but it was just enough for Herbert to find an open lane and get into the Illini's secondary.

Conerly's pull block helps Noah Whittington find the end zone

Oregon used a lot of running plays that required their weak side guards and tackle to pull against Washington, and that's because Conerly is good at kicking out linebackers.

The Ducks used the play three times on a first-quarter drive, and each of them resulted in big gains. Guard Nishad Strother pulled to his right to block the defensive end and create a running lane, while Conerly barreled through to clear the way for the running back. The first play went for 15 yards; the second resulted in an eight-yard gain.

On the third time Oregon used the play, Conerly supplied the block that directly led to Noah Whittington getting into the end zone to take an early lead.

The Ducks won the game, 49-21, and the offense accounted for 222 rushing yards with five touchdowns.

Conerly climbs to the second level and helps Whittington score

Conerly helped the Ducks produce several rushing performances in 2024, and one of the best showings of how dominant he can be came against Oregon State.

It was second-and-5 at Oregon State's 27-yard line, and the Ducks were looking to put the game away in the third quarter. Naturally, they chose to run the ball in Conerly's direction, and he did not disappoint. He started with a combo block on a defensive tackle before moving upfield and cutting off the backside linebacker, which opened a lane for Whittington to sprint through.

Whittington went on to score a 27-yard touchdown and put the game even further out of Oregon State's reach.