The Washington Commanders have a lot going for them. Though last season was a bitter disappointment finishing with a 4-13 record, the bright side is that they now have the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Add to it a new coaching staff and a series of free agency additions that include the likes of Dorance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz, Frankie Luvu, and Austin Ekeler, and things are looking up for the Commanders.
But first things first: Hitting on the second overall pick. It's widely assumed that Washington will be going after a quarterback with that selection. The Commanders trading Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks and allowing Jacoby Brissett to walk in free agency would lend credence to that train of thought. They will have their choice of Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye if they go that route, assuming Chicago takes Caleb Williams first overall. If they go a different route, perhaps they go with Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt. Regardless, the Commanders really can't go wrong drafting any of these players.
Jayden Daniels, Quarterback, LSU
Jayden Daniels is currently the betting favorite to get selected second overall, so it's appropriate to start with him. The LSU quarterback was not really on draft radars to begin the 2023 season, much like former Bayou Bengal Joe Burrow was before he went first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. But, Daniels exploded onto the scene after a monster 2023 season that saw him throw and run the ball over the yard and win the Heisman trophy.
Daniels' numbers were exceptional last season. He managed to complete 72.2% of his passes while averaging a gargantuan 11.7 yards per attempt. That's insane! Daniels ultimately ended up throwing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns to just four interceptions while adding 1,134 yards on the ground. No wonder he won the Heisman. Those are video game numbers in the SEC.
Jayden Daniels is going to be everyone's favorite Madden Quarterback.
Lamar Jackson is the easy player comp. Uncatchable speed. Beautiful deep ball, thrown with touch, that he can drop in a bucket. Perfect fit for Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid Offense in Washington. pic.twitter.com/YJ0lGrJNEH
— Alfredo Brown (@ThePretendGM) March 20, 2024
Daniels has 55 starts under his belt. Not only that, but he is generally a good caretaker of the ball (he has a 1.39% career interception rate) and has the mobility to get him out of bad situations. He does take some big hits as a runner, but outside of that, he should be ready to play right away.
Washington has a lot of weapons for him to throw to as well in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson Jr., and Jamison Crowder. That room could definitely be better, but it also is full of veterans who can help a young quarterback. It's a solid situation for Daniels. He can make an impact sooner than later.
Drake Maye, Quarterback, North Carolina
Drake Maye will probably be their guy if the Commanders don't go with Daniels. The issue with Maye, however, is that sitting for a year or so would be most beneficial for him and his future NFL prospects.
.@danorlovsky7 says Drake Maye "needs to be on the Jordan Love plan." pic.twitter.com/INjJgcSKEu
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 29, 2024
There's nothing wrong with that plan, per se, but Washington doesn't really have many options that could prevent Maye from seeing the field. Marcus Mariota and Jake Fromm are the only other quarterbacks on the team, and Mariota's skillset and mobility being closer to that of Daniels' skillset than Maye's may portend to Washington's line of thinking.
But Maye is still a great prospect in his own right. He isn't as experienced as Daniels, but has two years worth of starts under his belt and has robust numbers and plays to go with it.
A handful of Maye's scrambles against Georgia Tech. Think it's understandable why he tucks it on each of these, whether it's the broken RPO or initially covered third down plays.
The last play in the redzone he could have possibly ripped the bender, but he salvages it with a TD. pic.twitter.com/lKFARzKCUN
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) February 21, 2024
If the Commanders go with Maye over Daniels, no one should fault them. He has the goods to be the best quarterback in this draft if things go right.
Joe Alt, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
If the Commanders ignore quarterback altogether at the top of the draft, Notre Dame offensive Joe Alt would make the most sense here. Washington's offensive line wasn't terrible last season. They did give up the most sacks in the league by far, but Sam Howell's propensity to hold onto the ball was a big factor there. They did rank 14th in pass block win rate and 22nd in run block win rate according to ESPN.com. But, they did cut their starting left tackle from a year ago in Charles Leno Jr.
That's where Alt could come in. In a loaded offensive tackle class, he stood out as the best over the last two seasons.
Joe Alt is one of just two FBS OTs with a grade of 85.0+ in both pass-blocking and run-blocking over the past two years 💪 pic.twitter.com/NqdMcbzoCZ
— PFF (@PFF) March 2, 2024
Again, it seems likely that Washington will go with a quarterback with this. But, Alt is good enough to at least beg the question and consider different alternatives.
Follow Us
Subscribe