Getty Caleb Williams sidearm throw.
The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and are expected to draft a quarterback. While they’ll likely miss out on drafting USC star Caleb Williams, the Commanders could move up in the draft if they believe he makes a difference. As Justin Fields could be the future of the Chicago Bears, who hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, they could trade it.
However, it’s uncertain at this time if the Bears are going to move on from Fields and draft Williams. If that isn’t the case, Washington could look to trade for that pick. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report did a predicted return on the pick, which would send Chicago the 2024 No. 2 pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2025 third-round pick.
“The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 pick, but they might consider trading up to prevent another team from leapfrogging them to take whichever quarterback they want.
“No team has ever traded up from No. 2 before, but it would be gravy for the Bears if they’re good sticking with Fields and want to be certain they can land an elite non-quarterback like Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the top receivers in the country, so pairing him with Fields if they did trade the pick makes sense. If Chicago fell to the 2nd pick, they’d be able to draft him.
What’s Caleb Williams’s Price Tag?
With the Bears holding that pick, there hasn’t been much noise of them trading it. Williams is regarded as a generational quarterback and when that’s the case, either a huge haul is required to land the pick or the team will just draft the player.
In this case, we have an interesting scenario. On one hand, Fields has shown he can be above-average at times for the Chicago Bears. However, he hasn’t consistently shown that he can be one of the top quarterbacks in the game and Williams expects to be that.
Gagnon questions what the value would be, but does note that it could cost more than what he suggests given it’s for a franchise quarterback.
“Since no team has ever jumped directly from No. 2 to No. 1, it’s tough to gauge the value here. Based on the draft pick trade value chart, the Commanders should owe the Bears no more than a second-round selection to make this swap, but that has rarely been an applicable tool for deals involving primo picks with potential franchise quarterbacks in the mix.”
Caleb Williams Can Change the Commanders Franchise Around
The past decade-plus hasn’t been kind to the Washington Commanders. The team has made the playoffs five times since 2000 and hasn’t made it past the divisional round. With new owner Josh Harris, Dan Quinn taking over as the head coach, and a potential game changer in Williams, the future would be as bright as it ever is.
Perhaps they believe that Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye can be that player, but Williams has a generational look to him. In the 2023 college football season, he threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. That’s after a season where he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
Depending on the price from the Chicago Bears, this could be a good decision for the Commanders.