Getty Washington Commanders taking on the New England Patriots.
The Washington Commanders have a tough decision to make with the No. 2 pick. After landing that No. 2 pick and having the option to draft one of the three highly touted quarterbacks in Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels, the expectation is for them to finally find their franchise quarterback. However, there’s a scenario where trading the No. 2 pick to the New England Patriots can help the Commanders.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that would send the No. 2 and No. 139 pick to the Patriots for the No. 3 and No. 34 pick. The Commanders would be able to draft whichever of the three quarterbacks remains and get an additional second-round pick for a fifth-round pick.
“What if the Commanders like Maye and Daniels equally? Well, then trading down a spot would be entirely logical.
“The New England Patriots are also in the quarterback market after ditching Mac Jones, and they may well prefer one quarterback over the other. In this scenario, the Patriots trade a high second-round pick for the right to move up and get their chosen signal-caller.”
This could be a deal that interests the Commanders, but only if they don’t have a preference on Daniels or Maye. If they want one more than the other, drafting them is the better solution.
The Commanders Options at No. 2
As the Washington Commanders look to find their franchise quarterback, their decision is expected to come down to Maye or Daniels. Williams is expected to be drafted with the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Bears and unless the Commanders or New England Patriots trade for that pick, Williams looks to be headed to the Bears.
In that scenario, the Commanders would have to pick between Daniels or Maye.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said Thursday on NBC Sports Boston that he believed Daniels is the leader for the Commanders.
“The more I’ve started to ask around, the more it seems like Jayden Daniels is probably the leader in the clubhouse to be a Commander.
“It does match up with what (Commanders offensive coordinator) Kliff Kingsbury has looked for in his quarterbacks over the years. Obviously, Jayden Daniels had a great season last season at LSU, and he’s arguably the most ready to play of the three (top-tier QBs) at the top of the draft because he’s played the most football. He played five years in college.”
Should They Trade With the Patriots?
If the New England Patriots prefer one of those two, they could be willing to give that extra second-round pick to the Washington Commanders. However, if Breer’s assessment of how the Commanders view Daniels is accurate, there’s no reason to take a risk and not draft him.
Moving that pick to the Patriots gets risky if the quarterback they pass on ends up becoming a star.
Throughout the past few years, it seems like every decision the Commanders make is the wrong one. However, with new ownership and a new head coach, that could change this year.
It has to this time.
After a few disappointing seasons, the Commanders need to find their guy and draft him at No. 2.