Why Bill Croskey-Merritt will give Commanders even more in 2026 NFL season

· Yahoo Sports

Commanders running back Bill Croskey-Merritt exceeded expectations for a seventh-round NFL draft pick. The 805 rushing yards, at 4.6 per clip, and eight touchdowns will tell you that.  

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Advanced metrics confirm a standout performance, as he finished with plus-138 rushing yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He had a 53% rushing success rate – that’s top 15 — meaning he got 40% of required yards on first down, 60% of them on second down and 100% of them on third- and fourth-down.  

Those are all pluses, but there’s evidence that much better’s yet to come.  

It starts with drive, of which Croskey-Merritt has plenty.  

“I’m going to go back and look at everything I did wrong, and during the offseason I’m going to hit it at 100% and come back better than ever,” Croskey-Merritt told ABC7’s Scott Abraham after the 2025 season. “…I know how success feels. I just want to keep having it…and be the best version of myself.” 

Ball security and receiving production are two obvious areas to improve, with three fumbles and just nine catches for 68 receiving yards. Croskey-Merritt found other areas work on, and his physique was one.  

He showed up for the offseason program clearly bulked up and ready for a heavy workload. 

He showed up for the offseason program clearly bulked up and ready for a heavy workload. He talked about improvement in the passing game, as a receiver and pass protector, which is mandatory in what we expect from new coordinator David Blough’s system.  

Head coach Dan Quinn also said during minicamp that Croskey-Merritt could also be a factor in the return game, which only serves to increase his overall value.  

Don’t expect Croskey-Merritt to be a true feature back, not with veteran Rachaad White in the mix and Kaytron Allen added in the NFL draft. If he continues to develop areas of relative deficiency, a level-up in play and efficiency is expected.  

“I do feel like there’s like this elevation that’s taking place with him,” Quinn said in a June 18 press conference. “He’s always been hungry for it.” 

There’s also an adjustment period from last season, when Croskey-Merritt was mostly a shotgun runner in Kliff Kingsbury’s system. The Commanders will be under center a lot more, which gives running backs more time to, as Croskey-Merritt puts it, to “see things before they happen.”  

There’s also a regular threat of playaction, which can cause the hesitation required to gain a step on the front seven.  

While we don’t know exactly how Blough’s run game will look in the regular season, it’s fair to expect the Commanders will execute more zone runs, including wide-zone concepts, in 2026.  

Croskey-Merritt was really good outside the tackles in 2025, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, suggesting he has the lateral agility to make those runs work. 

“From a play design (perspective), a little bit different where (there are) some stretch, cutback type of plays,” Quinn said in that same presser. “So, seeing him do that, his explosiveness to go and do that, that’s a big deal.” 

If we watch last year’s highlights closely, there’s also evidence of someone who can execute those types of plays well.  

You see patience, waiting for blocking to set up. You see decisiveness and good burst working into and through space. You see excellent contact balance in traffic and into the second level. All those traits are required for a good zone runner.  

That should lead to efficient runs and occasionally explosive ones in zone opportuniries.  

The pass protection and receiving improvement is something must see to believe. He’ll have to earn rights to do those things early, lest White take most snaps on obvious passing downs.  

While that remains a question mark, it’s fair to expect even more production from Croskey-Merritt in his second season.  

“Just being a better me,” Croskey-Merritt said in June. “That’s it, and the main thing we’ve been emphasizing. Just do you and keep working hard. That’s all they want to see. That’s what I’m going to do.” 

What are your expectations for Croskey-Merritt in 2026, operating in Blough’s system? Let us know in the comments below. 

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