Jacory Croskey-Merritt may have somehow outdone the hype.
The Washington Commanders' rookie running back, drafted in the seventh round after only playing one game in his final college season due to an odd eligibility issue, delivered on Sunday in Week 1 against the New York Giants.
JCM, known as Bill, ran 10 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. He had four runs for double-digit yardage.
And in the process, he made NFL history.
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He's the first player in the league, ever, drafted outside the top-200 picks to go for 75 rushing yards and a TD in a debut, according to Michael F. Florio.
Croskey-Merritt did it in style, too.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote Monday morning that his five splash plays (the touchdown and the four long runs) came on five different run concepts.
"(That) speaks to how diverse and difficult the Commanders' run game can be to stop," Barnwell wrote. "He was clearly comfortable working out of the pistol and shotgun run game, which wasn't always the case for Brian Robinson Jr., who was more efficient under center over his three years with Washington. Installed in Robinson's role as part of a timeshare with Austin Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt looked entirely comfortable and capable of immediately stepping in as an above-average back."
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How can Croskey-Merritt follow up history?
If he keeps up his versatility and explosiveness, he might just run it back with another huge game.
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