The Washington Commanders are going to look a lot different in 2024 than they did in previous years. Under new ownership, led by Josh Harris, the team is overhauling its football operations. Adam Peters was hired as general manager, leaving head coach as the next big decision to be made.
The Commanders, who landed the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, are in a position to also select a new quarterback of the future. Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was adequate during his first season as the team’s starter but is likely on the outs.
Had veteran Jacoby Brissett not gotten injured during practice in Week 17, the plan was to bench Howell for him. Instead, Howell kept the job for the final two games and the team finished 4-13.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, 2024 NFL Draft, Washington Commanders Updates
Many analysts and fans are expecting the Commanders to use the No. 2 pick on a new starting quarterback. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are considered by many people the consensus top two players at the position.
However, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. doesn’t see it that way. While he has Williams going first to the Chicago Bears in his recent mock draft, it isn’t Maye going second to the Commanders. Instead, Kiper has selected LSU star Jayden Daniels in his recent mock draft at No. 2.
“The Commanders have a much more straightforward decision than the Bears. Sam Howell, who led the league in interceptions in 2023, is not the guy. They have to take a quarterback in a draft that has a clear top tier of three signal-callers: Williams, Daniels and Drake Maye (North Carolina). There’s a drop-off in the class after that. With Washington getting an opportunity to take the No. 2 quarterback here, why did I go with Daniels?
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner improved so much in 2023, throwing 40 touchdown passes to just four interceptions while going up against a tough SEC schedule. In December, I went deep on his strengths, weaknesses and future, so you can see my full thoughts on his game there. The bottom line is it’s tight between Daniels and Maye on my board, but Daniels would be an tremendous fit for a Washington roster that has some young playmakers on offense. Maye’s inconsistency at the end of the season is enough for me to put Daniels at No. 2. The reality, though, is the Commanders just hired their new general manager and still don’t have a coach, so there’s a lot to figure out about which direction they go,” Kiper wrote.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, 2024 NFL Draft, Washington Commanders Updates
The head coaching decision will dictate which way the team goes with their draft pick. It will almost assuredly be a quarterback, but Daniels and Maye are two drastically different kinds of prospects, making the coaching fit an important one.
Alas, the Commanders would likely be happy with any of the top three quarterback prospects landing with the team. All three have immense upside and would help turn around the long-term outlook of the franchise.
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