Commanders lose again, inch closer to second overall pick

The Commanders are tied with the Cardinals and the New England Patriots for the league's second-worst record at 4-12. As of the conclusion of Sunday's 1 p.m. games, Washington currently holds the tiebreaker for the second pick, per Tankathon.

Tiebreakers for draft position are usually determined by strength of schedule, where the Commanders and Patriots (both .515) are in a virtual dead heat. The Cardinals (.566) have almost no chance of jumping back ahead of either team unless Washington or New England wins next week.

The Patriots play a very winnable game in Week 18, at home against the New York Jets. The Commanders, meanwhile, will be at home against a Dallas Cowboys team that will have a division championship at stake.

Should New England win and Washington lose, that would all but guarantee the Commanders will be picking second in the 2024 NFL Draft. If the Chicago Bears elect not to trade the top overall pick and pass on a quarterback, Washington could end up with a chance to select the believed prize of the class, USC QB Caleb Williams.

Even if Williams is off the board, there will be several top prospects to choose from at QB (UNC's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels) and OL (Penn State's Olu Fashanu or Notre Dame's Joe Alt), as well as standout Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

Washington's 2023 season may have derailed, but there should be plenty of room for optimism in 2024. A new coaching staff and GM will likely be on the way, and potentially an even more highly-anticipated rookie than previously thought.