The seventh-round steal who led the Washington Commanders in rushing last season came back this spring with a different body, a cleaner diet, and one goal.
The nickname started because he looked like the cartoon character when he was a kid. Bill. Short, round face, big personality. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has carried that name through college and into the NFL — but when he walked into Commanders Park this spring, the name was about the only thing that stayed the same. Bill doesn't look little anymore.
Croskey-Merritt was listed at 208 pounds when Washington drafted him in the seventh round in 2025. The player who showed up to Ashburn looks like a noticeably different player — more muscle through the lower half, thicker through the core, built like a back who spent the entire offseason in the weight room because he knew exactly what was coming. He's been open about why. A cleaner diet. More time lifting. A focused, intentional effort to add the kind of functional strength that holds up against NFL linebackers for 17 games rather than wearing down in the second half of the season. Dan Quinn noticed it at mandatory minicamp and called him out directly, saying Croskey-Merritt is "hungry for it" and rising to the challenge the coaching staff has put in front of him.
What He Did as a Rookie
The production in 2025 was remarkable given the context. A seventh-round pick Croskey-Merritt wasn't supposed to lead Washington in rushing. He did it anyway — 175 carries, 805 yards, eight touchdowns, and a 4.6 yards per carry average that ranked among the better marks in the NFC last season. He broke Washington's rookie rushing yards record and finished as one of the biggest Day 3 steals in the entire draft class. The explosiveness was the trait that jumped off tape — he had multiple runs of 20-plus yards, showed legitimate burst through the line of scrimmage, and proved he could handle a starter's workload when asked.
The area that got flagged publicly was what he did when he didn't have the ball. Former OC Kliff Kingsbury specifically called out his pass protection as a work in progress, an area that running backs coach Anthony Lynn emphasized in June, noting that his technique in pick-up assignments needed refinement before Washington could trust him on the field on all three downs. That limitation capped his role in third-and-short situations last season and is the primary reason Washington added Rachaad White in free agency. The third-down role needs to be earned, and Croskey-Merritt knows it.
The Year Two Leap
Everything about this offseason suggests the work has been done. The physical transformation is visible to anyone who has been at Ashburn. The mental approach has shifted too — Croskey-Merritt has been more decisive in practice, working specifically on his decisiveness through the line and his ability to keep first-down chains moving rather than waiting for the big play. "That's where I feel like I've grown most in my game," he said at mandatory minicamp. "I just gotta keep working and just being way better than last year. That's my only goal — just winning and being a whole different version of myself."
The Commanders have been clear that the backfield is a committee — Quinn said he doesn't know whether they have a single "main guy" or even need one. White handles the third-down receiving role. Kaytron Allen projects as the short-yardage bruiser. McNichols sticks around for special teams. But Croskey-Merritt is the only back on the roster who was guaranteed a spot heading into this offseason, and the job of lead back is his to lose.
Where He Fits in Blough's Offense
David Blough is installing a play-action-heavy system that puts the run game at the foundation of everything. Washington's offensive line — anchored by Laremy Tunsil at left tackle — finished fifth in yards per attempt last season. Blough wants to build on that, running the ball with purpose early in games to set up the play-action shots that make Jayden Daniels dangerous downfield. That scheme needs a between-the-tackles runner who can generate yards on early downs, keep defenses honest, and give Daniels the platform to operate from. Croskey-Merritt's 4.6 yards per carry in his rookie year is the exact number Blough is trying to build around.
The added bulk makes him a better fit for that role than the version that showed up to Ashburn last summer. More functional strength means he holds up better at the point of contact, bounces off defenders rather than going down on first contact, and handles a full-season workload without wearing down in December. If the pass protection technique catches up to the physical upgrades — and every sign this spring suggests it has — Washington has the every-down back they've been building toward since they drafted him a year ago. A seventh-round pick becoming a featured back with a stronger body and something to prove. That's a problem for every defense on Washington's 2026 schedule.
Bill doesn't look little anymore. And the NFC is about to find out.
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