The top three selections in April’s draft belong to QB-needy teams, leading many to expect the Bears, Commanders and Patriots to turn down trade offers and add a signal-caller at the top of the board. When speaking about the team’s plans, Washington head coach Dan Quinn confirmed a rookie quarterback will likely be in place by the start of the 2024 season.
“I would say it’d be fair to envision we’d be taking a quarterback,” Quinn said during an interview with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “To say where it’ll be happening, I think that’s a better question for [general manager] Adam [Peters]. As the next weeks unfold there’ll be a lot of discussion, and that’s why we’ve had a great trip out seeing some guys, we’ll do that some more in the weeks ahead, but I’ve enjoyed that process with Adam, and going through it.”
With nine selections (including six of the first 100) in the draft, the Commanders will have plenty of opportunities to make a long-term investment under center. The likeliest point at which that will happen, though, is of course the No. 2 overall slot. The now Justin Fields-less Bears are on track to take Caleb Williams off the board first overall, leaving Peters, Quinn and Co. to choose between LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
The former won the Heisman in 2023 after posting by far a career-high 40 touchdown passes (along with only four interceptions). Daniels added 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground, but the former Arizona State transfer has drawn criticism for only having one season of stellar production. Due to his longstanding relationship with Antonio Pierce and the Raiders’ potential desire to add a first-round passer, Las Vegas could be a team willing to make a bold move up the order if the Commanders pass on him.
In that event, Washington would likely add Maye, who entered the 2023 season relatively close to Williams in many evaluations. After his second full season as the Tar Heels starter did not go as well as the first, though, Maye’s stock may have experienced a drop. The Patriots reportedly have concerns with him, something which would of course be relevant if Williams and Daniels came off the board first and second overall. After neither Daniels nor Maye threw at the combine, individual meetings with both will be crucial for the Commanders and teams within their range.
Trading out of the second slot would be another possibility for the Commanders – a team which traded away Sam Howell not long after signing veteran backup Marcus Mariota. As Quinn noted, though, while inquiries have started, it would take a massive offer from an interested team to convince Washington to give up the opportunity to select one of the top signal-callers available. Plenty is yet to be determined in the coming weeks, but as things stand a QB selection should still be expected on the part of the Commanders.
More must-reads: