ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Beefing up the protection for franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
Audible cheers could be heard inside the team facility before the pick was announced in person at the draft in Green Bay. General manager Adam Peters said he and his staff were holding their breath hoping Conerly, “clearly the highest player on our board” would still be there.
“Everybody was just really pumped to get him,” Peters said. “He’s really the total package. You look at the tape and you see what an incredible athlete he is. ... Just great feet, great lower-body structure — super talented for a big man”
Taking Conerly upgrades the line in front of Daniels, who was sacked three times in the NFC title game loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. It's the latest upgrade building around Daniels after Peters acquired standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil from Houston and traded for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
“Every move we make, we’re trying to maximize him and really the whole team,” Peters said.
Taking Conerly also comes after the division-rival New York Giants selected edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick. Conerly and Oregon beat Carter and Penn State last season, and his performance in that game contributed to the Commanders valuing the 21-year-old.
“They way he competed against Abdul Carter, he went toe to toe with Abdul Carter, the best pass rusher in the draft,” Peters said. “He played really well.”
A 6-foot-5, 311-pounder from Seattle, Conerly started 14 games at left tackle for the Ducks as a junior last season. He said it “means the world” to get a chance to play in front of Daniels and try to keep him upright.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity just to get out there and block for one of the best,” Conerly said.
Conerly was a third-team AP All-America selection and first-team all Big Ten. He could move to the right side after the Commanders n last month and should compete for a starting spot.
“Whatever’s asked, that’s what I’m doing,” said Conerly, who did not hesitate when asked about potentially playing right tackle. "Hey, if that’s what I’ve got to do, that’s what I’ve got to do.”
The Commanders went offensive line over help in the secondary, at linebacker or at defensive end. They did not trade back out of the first round like others did just ahead of them, stockpiling picks later in this draft and in future years.
“We got a ton of calls when we were on the clock,” Peters said. “If he was on the board, we weren’t going to trade back. In our minds it was not worth risking missing out on him.”
Team co-owner Magic Johnson expressed his approval on social media, posting: “Commanders Nation I’m truly excited about our pick OT Josh Conerly Jr. from Oregon. Welcome to the DMV!”
Peters said Daniels got woken up by the call informing him Conerly was the pick.
“He went back to bed,” Peters said. “He’s happy.”
Sitting at 29 was the latest Washington has waited to make a draft pick since No. 44 in 2014, when the team did not have its first-rounder because of the trade to move up to select Robert Griffin III second in 2012.
After trading for Tunsil and Samuel, the Commanders have four picks the rest of the draft: one each in the second (61st), fourth (128th), sixth (205th) and seventh (245th) rounds. Peters said he did not feel pressure to put an emphasis on defense.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
FILE - Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves kept possession, trailing by two in the final minute, and Anthony Edwards knew exactly what he was doing next.
After teammate Julius Randle made his first free throw and missed the second, Rudy Gobert leaped to tap the ball into the backcourt and help keep the Wolves within reach of Oklahoma City on Friday night.
Edwards quickly took possession, steered Thunder guard Cason Wallace toward the wing, faked a drive, and swished a 25-foot step-back 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left to give the Wolves the lead for good in a 112-107 victory.
“I’m not passing the ball. I knew it was going up,” said Edwards, who returned from a three-game injury absence with 26 points and 12 rebounds. "When it left my hand, I knew it was going in. He played great defense. It was a tough shot. But I probably shoot that shot 1,000 times in a week when I’m in the gym, so it felt like a natural shot.”
Edwards, who's been managing a foot injury, said there was no doubt in his mind he would play against the Thunder, who ousted the Wolves in five games in the Western Conference finals last spring and beat them 113-105 in Oklahoma City last month.
“At the end of the day, we’re putting the ball in his hands, asking him to bring us home,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who had 15 points. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Edwards didn't stop with the hero shot, either.
He blocked reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's shot at the rim on the next possession and grabbed the defensive rebound after the Thunder hung onto the ball for another try, setting up Randle for two free throws that put the Wolves up by three.
Then as Gilgeous-Alexander drove up the court, Edwards saw teammate and defensive ace Jaden McDaniels in the gap on Gilgeous-Alexander's left, made sure to cut off his path to the right, and swiped the ball as it crossed his face.
“I knew he was trying to go for a 3,” Edwards said. “Just trying to be solid."
Edwards, sitting in front of his locker after the game, then added the relevant levity to the revelry of handing the Thunder (25-3) a rare loss.
“That’s just one win, man. That’s a regular-season win,” said Edwards, also noting the Thunder had played at home the night before. “They're the best team in the league by far.”
But the defending champions clearly brought out the best in the Wolves (17-10), who might well have produced their best performance of the young season in terms of the opponent, the meaning, their energy and their defense — offsetting a rough night shooting from the floor and the foul line.
“You could feel every defensive stop, every rebound, every offensive rebound. You could feel how much energy the arena had, the ball had, the teammates had,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s the atmosphere we need every single night.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, celebrates his three-point basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates his three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates his three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) smiles during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
