Getty Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.
The Washington Commanders have a tough decision to make with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft — a decision some insiders say shouldn’t have anything to do with a possible trade.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell advised the Commanders to hold fast at the No. 2 overall pick because the prospect of picking a potential franchise quarterback is too tantalizing — and valuable — to pass up.
ESPN’s Field Yates has LSU’s Jayden Daniels ranked ahead of North Carolina’s Drake Maye in his latest quarterback prospect rankings. USC’s Caleb Williams seems like a certainty to go to the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall.
“Every sport is subject to differing qualities in draft classes from year to year, but nothing is more valuable than being in position to pick a potential franchise quarterback,” Barnwell wrote. “The Commanders would project to generate more surplus value by drafting a quarterback at No. 2 than they would by landing two other picks in the top 10 and using them on non-quarterbacks.”
Barnwell’s argument made sure to point out the other side of things — that No. 2 overall pick could be incredibly valuable to a team.
“Trading this pick would undoubtedly net the franchise multiple first-rounders in the years to come, possibly from a team that might still be far away from contending, like the Raiders or Broncos,” Barnwell wrote. “That’s a tantalizing option.”
Commanders Making Moves to Win in 2024
Barnwell pointed out that Washington general manager Adam Peters and new head coach Dan Quinn and don’t seem like they’re putting together a team that’s going to tank in 2024.
The Commanders signed linebacker Bobby Wagner, who played for Quinn when he was defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. They signed two players from the Dallas Cowboys, where Quinn was defensive coordinator in 2023, with Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz and defensive end Dorance Armstrong, who got a three-year, $45 million deal.
The Commanders also bring in running back Austin Ekeler from the Los Angeles Chargers. Ekeler, who is one of the best pass-catching running backs in the NFL, has over 1,000 yards of total offense in four of the last five seasons.
“( The Commanders) don’t look like a team that plans to lose in 2024,” Barnwell wrote. “If they don’t love any of the non-Williams quarterbacks available at No. 2, they could consider a trade down. Otherwise, they need to stay put and draft a signal-caller.
Commanders Have Sad History With No. 2 Overall Pick
The 2024 NFL draft will be the sixth time in the history of the franchise the Commanders have had the No. 2 overall pick — mostly with disastrous results.
Wake Forest quarterback Norm Snead was Washington’s pick at No. 2 in 1961 and he went 9-30 in three seasons as the starter before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington picked Penn State linebacker Lavar Arrington at No. 2 and he was dominant for his first four seasons, making three Pro Bowls and two NFL All-Pro Teams but knee injuries kept him to just 10 starts over the next two seasons and he was out of the league by 2006.
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III was Washington’s No. 2 pick in 2012 and named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler as a rookie but went 5-15 as a starter over the next two seasons. Griffin sat out the entire 2015 season and was released in 2016.
The Commanders selected Ohio State defensive end Chase Young at No. 2 in 2020 and he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler as a rookie but only played 12 games over the next two seasons before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.