The Washington Commanders will be without Austin Ekeler for the remainder of the season after the veteran running back suffered an Achilles injury in Week 2. With Ekeler out of commission, more of the workload will be thrust upon rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
That bodes well for fantasy football managers, many of whom rated Croskey-Merritt highly entering his first year in the league. However, for Croskey-Merritt to be successful in his new role, Washington OC Kliff Kingsbury detailed, rather bluntly, one specific areas he needs to improve upon.
Kingsbury noted that Croskey-Merritt's play without the ball is something the team is hoping he can improve, specifically noting the importance of pass protection and properly running routes as focal points of development for the 24-year-old.
"Every time he's touched it good things happen," Kingsbury said of the team's seventh round pick, via ESPN's John Keim.
Those are not uncommon traits for a rookie running back to need to develop, so it's hardly a surprise that the team feels Croskey-Merritt has room to grow in that regard.
Through two games, Croskey-Merritt has 14 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. He's not been heavily involved in the passing game, however, with zero receptions on two targets from Jayden Daniels. He's only been on the field for 27% of the team's offensive snaps, an indication that he's being utilized more situationally as opposed to a three-down running back. As Kingsbury suggested, improving his route-running would likely be a way for the rookie to see more of the field on passing downs.
We'll see what his workload looks like in Week 3 with Ekeler sidelined. Also competing for snaps at running back are Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Commanders OC Bluntly States Jacory Croskey-Merritt's Biggest Challenges As Rookie.