How Jacory Croskey-Merritt fits the Washington Commanders running game

Will Bill have an impact in his rookie season?

Bill Croskey-Merritt was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Since the selection, the former Arizona running back has received nothing but positive press for his vision, burst, and cut quickness. Draft Network discussed his skill set in a pre-draft profile:

He’s a scheme-versatile back who shows good patience behind the line of scrimmage to locate cutback lanes and follow his blockers when pulling into space. Croskey-Merritt looks to get downhill in a hurry when he can, and while his speed is more build-up than explosive, he hits it with authority when the gap is open. Behind the line, he finds second-level defenders quickly and manipulates with good intention, pressing gaps and popping to other ones to open space. He uses his peripheral vision well to find space to jump cut into when navigating the second level. Getting up to speed, he runs upright and exploits angles with micro-movements to make would-be tacklers turn into arm tackles so he can bounce off them.

Bill’s 8.28 RAS score grades him with poor agility, but elite explosion and speed. Take special note of the 1.50 ten-yard split, which is a step slower than Bhayshul Tuten’s (1.49 sec) and just a shade faster than TreVeyon Henderson’s (1.52 sec). For another point of reference, Brian Robinson’s ten-yard split was 1.59 seconds.

In this article, we will look at three different run concepts commonly used by the Washington Commanders and how Bill’s skill set matches each one.

Like many teams, Kliff Kingsbury and Anthony Lynn employ several different run concepts, including both zone and gap schemes. Initially, I planned on offering a comparison of the two approaches, but I came across this write-up from Mile High Report. It does a far better job than I ever could, and if you have the time for a second cup of coffee, it is well worth the read. All the concepts discussed below are referenced in MHR’s article if you would like a more detailed explanation.

1.) GT Counter

This play is a variation of the counter scheme. In the counter, the guard pulls and works to the opposite side of the line then executes a kick-out block on the edge defender. The GT counter variation involves both the guard and tackle pulling from the back side of the line. The guard executes the kick-out block, and the tackle follows behind to provide blocking on the second level. Gibbs Era fans will immediately recognize this play by the moniker “Counter Trey.”

The modern era GT Counter is a little different in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, as it typically is run out of a shotgun or pistol formation, and there is no protection added to the back side of the line. This lack of protection is accounted for by the quarterback, who has several options based on how the uncovered end reacts. Kingsbury works with multiple variations of this concept when calling plays to keep the defense off balance:

Mark Bullock provides a nice string of tape to illustrate how unbalanced sets can be utilized, but I would like to focus on the first three counter plays. All are well blocked with Sam Cosmi, John Bates, or Ben Sinnott pulling from the opposite side and Brian Robinson running behind them. BRob has success on all three runs, getting what is blocked and generating extra yards with his power. However, viewers will note the running back’s distinctive lack of burst in the backfield. Now compare that with Croskey-Merritt running behind a similar concept in Arizona:

The pulling guard adjusts his block to the defensive end crashing inside, while the tight end works to the outside to execute the kick-out on the scraping linebacker. Those adjustments take time to develop, and Croskey-Merritt does a nice job stretching the play to the outside to set up the block. Once Bill sees daylight, he explodes through the hole for a 10-yard gain. The difference in burst and the 1.50 split is readily apparent. The 7^th rounder demonstrates excellent patience and vision. Both skills should serve him well running behind slow-developing run plays.

2.) Duo

Duo is a gap scheme that is easily mistaken for inside zone and is sometimes called power without the pull. In this gap concept, the linemen step towards one another to create a double team and vertical displacement before working to the second level. In lieu of a diagram, let’s have former offensive tackle Jared Veldheer walk us through the concept:

It is unique from other gap concepts, in that it requires the ball carrier to read the play side linebacker to determine the point of attack. If the defender leverages the inside, the back should cut towards open space. Conversely, if the linebacker scrapes to the outside, the runner should accelerate to his initial aiming point off the outside leg of the play side guard. This video breakdown explains the running back’s responsibilities in the Duo scheme:

To be successful, the runner must quickly assess where the linebacker is flowing on the play, make a decisive cut, and accelerate. Sound familiar? It should, from the draft profile above:

Behind the line, he finds second-level defenders quickly and manipulates with good intention, pressing gaps and popping to other ones to open space.

Bill excels in this concept by using both his vision to locate the second level defender, and his acceleration once the read is made. Here he is running behind a Duo type scheme in Arizona:

While Croskey-Merritt demonstrates patience behind the line of scrimmage, he also knows when not to be patient. The play side linebacker commits early and scrapes to the outside; Bill immediately identifies the read and accelerates through the middle for a large chunk gain. This kind of decisive read-and-react ability is crucial for success at the NFL level, and he demonstrates it on this play.

3.) Outside Zone

Zone blocking is well known by most football fans. The idea is offensive linemen work in unison to block areas rather than individual defenders. Blocking responsibilities are assigned based on the linemen being “covered” or “uncovered.” Covered linemen block the defender to the play-side gap, while uncovered linemen step to the play side and assist in controlling the defender before climbing to the second level. Kliff Kingsbury runs a wide zone scheme using big splits for the offensive linemen. These splits help create space and angles for blocking. Here is Washington executing an outside zone scheme with Cosmi “uncovered” and climbing to the second level to block the middle linebacker:

Conceptually, the outside zone works to create horizontal displacement along the line of scrimmage with subsequent vertical running lanes. Responsibilities for the running back include working towards the point of attack, identifying over-pursuit, and attacking creases that naturally occur by cutting back against the grain. Last season, the Commanders were the most efficient zone running team in the league, but didn’t utilize it as frequently as other teams, ranking 5^th in usage rate. Perhaps that will change with the addition of Croskey-Merritt as the scheme is another good match. Let’s review an outside zone play from his time at Fresno State:

Croskey-Merritt takes the hand-off and works toward his aiming point off the left tackle. As he crosses the field, he identifies the developing crease behind the left tackle and guard. Bill executes a cut to the back side of the right guard on the second level. At the snap, the right tackle used a cut block on the inside defensive lineman which prevents the backside fill and it is off to the races for Croskey-Merritt. He makes a nice move at mid-field to evade a would-be tackler and runs in for a touchdown.

Once more, we observe: vision, burst, and cut quickness.

I have seen a few comparisons of Croskey-Merritt to James Conner, but beyond upright running style, I don’t see a lot of similarities on tape. At 233-pounds with a 4.65 40-yard dash, Conner is a more powerful, violent runner. I believe a better comparison is a former Arizona running back, David Johnson. While Johnson doesn’t have Croskey-Merritt’s burst and acceleration, he was adept at making lunge cuts and other moves to exploit openings in the line. Again, Johnson has more power, but both players have a similar running style and attributes. Whether or not Bill can match up in receiving ability remains to be seen, as Croskey-Merritt wasn’t frequently utilized in the passing game in college. For what its worth, he appears to be a willing blocker and looks smooth catching the ball in drills.

Ultimately, for any of this to matter, Bill must make the 53-man roster. Since Robinson and Austin Ekeler are both entering the final year of their respective contracts, it makes sense to keep Croskey-Merritt if he shows potential during training camp and preseason. If he does make the initial roster, I suspect fans may be initially disappointed in Croskey-Merritt’s utilization. However, once given an opportunity, I believe he has the skill set to capitalize.