The Washington Commanders find themselves in the enviable situation of holding the no. 2 pick in one of the most talented quarterback draft classes in years. The Commanders have been busy during the offseason adding some top tier players with the additions of Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler and Bobby Wagner. The one area they have not yet address is the quarterback position.
All signs point to Washington drafting a quarterback with the second pick but newly-appointed head coach Dan Quinn is not giving too much up before the upcoming draft.
“I would say it’d be fair to envision we’d be taking a quarterback,” said Quinn to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. “To say where it’ll be happening, I think that’s a better question for (general manager) Adam (Peters).”
Commanders coach Dan Quinn says it's "fair to envision" his new team will be drafting a quarterback. Who it is and when it will happen remains to be seen. https://t.co/IzFN0Ntx6j
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 23, 2024
According to a recent piece in NFL.com, Quinn insists the team is still working to determine which quarterback will be the best fit for the organization, and is working closely with Peters to make that decision.
USC’s Caleb Williams appears to be the clear-cut first pick with the former Heisman Trophy winner dazzling NFL scouts with his performances over his last two seasons with the Trojans. If, however, the Chicago Bears do select the highly touted 22-year-old, there are still plenty of options on the table.
LSU’s Jayden Daniels is projected to be the second quarterback off the board on many mock drafts. The dual threat quarterback finished the year with 3812 passing yards, a 72.2 completion percentage and 40 touchdowns last year with the Tigers. UNC’s Drake Maye, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and Michigan’s National Champion quarterback J.J. McCarthy are all projected to be drafted in the first round. If the Commanders do decide to trade the pick and drop down, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler could both be around in the second round.
Asked about potentially trading the second overall pick, Quinn admitted there has been interest from other teams but that is part of the process at this time of the year.
“Yes, I would say it’s ringing, and because, like you said, of the talent of the group this year…But it is part of the process, and you have to do your due diligence to listen and to find out just to make sure, like is there something that you just couldn’t refuse,” added Quinn.
