The Washington Commanders took nine players in the 2024 NFL Draft, starting with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall and ending with Notre Dame defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste at No. 222 in Round 7. In between, the franchise made some intriguing sections, including Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, the Commanders' sleeper rookie to watch in 2024.
Why WR Luke McCaffrey will be the Commanders' sleeper rookie in 2024
If the name Luke McCaffrey sounds familiar, it should. He is the son of three-time Super Bowl champion receiver Ed McCaffrey and the brother of superstar San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
To say that NFL football runs in Luke McCaffrey’s blood is an understatement.
Luke took a different path to the league than his brother or his father, though. While Ed was also a third-round draft pick (out of Stanford by the New York Giants in 1991) like Luke, the elder McCaffrey was an excellent pass-catcher his whole life, setting records for the Cardinal.
As for Christian, he was a star running back at his dad’s alma mater before becoming the No. 8 overall pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2017. When healthy — which he’s been the past few seasons — the older brother is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the game, taking home the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Luke McCaffrey didn’t travel such a straight line to the NFL. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound football player started his college career as a quarterback at Nebraska. After limited opportunities and success with the Cornhuskers, McCaffrey transferred to Rice to try and win a starting QB job.
That didn’t quite work out either, but McCaffrey did switch to wide receiver with the Owls in 2022, and that seems to be a better position fit for him. Last season, he had a team-leading 71 catches for 992 yards with 13 receiving TDs, good for sixth-most in FBS.
Once he had a position, Luke McCaffrey got a chance to show off his other skills. He has 15 carries for 117 yards in 2023, threw two passes, and returned a punt.
In the young McCaffrey, the Commanders are getting a big possession slot receiver, which is basically a poor man’s version of a combination of Ed and Christian.
Ed was a possession receiver at heart, although he did have enough speed and quickness, even at 6-foot-5, to take the top off a defense. Luke doesn’t have the size, speed, or quickness to beat outside NFL corners, but he should be able to do it on the inside.
Christian, as we all know, is a next-level athlete for his size and a master of all trades. He can run, catch, and even throw when the situation calls for it. Luke is closer to a jack-of-all-rades, master-of-none but having a Swiss Army knife on offense is never a bad thing, and when it’s a big target like Luke McCaffrey, it could be an excellent thing for rookie quarterback Jayden McDaniels.
In the end, Luke McCaffrey will probably never become a three-time Super Bowl champion like his dad, and he will definitely never be the best offensive weapon in the league like his brother.
That said, Luke will come in, know his assignment, and improve rapidly at a position he’s only played for the better part of two seasons. Because of that, McCaffrey can be the Commanders’ rookie sleeper to make the biggest difference in 2024.
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