JC #22

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Running Back · Arizona

A seventh-round steal who scored more rookie rushing touchdowns than any late-round back in three decades.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt took a winding college road through Alabama State, New Mexico and Arizona before Washington scooped him up in the seventh round of the 2025 draft. He turned that afterthought status into one of the best rookie stories on the roster, punching in touchdowns at a rate rarely seen from a Day 3 pick.

★ Seven rushing touchdowns as a rookie, most by a seventh-round rookie RB in 30 years

★ 1,190 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in his 2023 college season

★ First Arizona running back drafted since 2021

Path to the league

Croskey-Merritt spent four seasons at Alabama State before transferring first to New Mexico and then to Arizona. Eligibility issues limited him to a single game for the Wildcats, in which he still rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown. In 2023 at New Mexico, he ran for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns on 189 carries. Washington selected him with the 245th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Despite his limited college tape, Croskey-Merritt impressed scouts at the East-West Shrine Bowl and became the first Arizona running back drafted since 2021. His combination of contact balance and breakaway speed made him a favorite of Washington's coaching staff in camp.

2025 season recap

Croskey-Merritt broke out as a rookie, scoring seven rushing touchdowns, the most by any seventh-round rookie running back in 30 years. He delivered one of the season's signature plays with a 72-yard touchdown run on Christmas Day against Dallas that helped spark a Commanders comeback.