NFL executive has bad idea for the Washington Commanders' first round draft pick
No one truly knows what the Washington Commanders are going to do with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Not even they do, just yet.So, naturally, all kinds of ideas are getting discussed when it comes to what the team should during the final weekend of April. A smart bettor would […]
No one truly knows what the Washington Commanders are going to do with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Not even they do, just yet.
So, naturally, all kinds of ideas are getting discussed when it comes to what the team should during the final weekend of April. A smart bettor would place their money on the Commanders taking a quarterback at No. 2, as it's simply a matter of logic linking up with a major roster need, ultimately.
As we all know, this draft is loaded with QB talent and it's not just one or two guys – it's several. They can be had throughout the first round and into the early portions of the second round, as well. So, it's not like a QB-needy has to be picking in the top-5 in order to get a good prospect, even if that's the most ideal situation to be in.
Such reality has a few people thinking the Commanders should trade back in order to collect more picks and still get a capable signal-caller, but that's easily a bad idea, at the end of the day.
The last executive, who is not selecting in the top 10, didn’t offer a prediction but said a trade-down would be the wisest choice. The executive believed the drop-off from the second quarterback to the next tier wasn’t too steep, and the ability to recoup a haul of future draft picks would be too enticing to pass up. – Jeff Howe, The Athletic
The problem with the above logic is that, sure, a Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix aren't terrible alternatives, but there is a big drop-off when talking about certain qualities. For instance, Penix Jr. has a long injury history, although his medicals were recently good to go. And Nix, in general, is nowhere near the elite prospect the top-3 guys in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye are. If he was, his name would be climbing draft boards a la J.J. McCarthy.
An actual trade back would most likely result in something with the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, or even Denver Broncos. Trading back that far guarantees you're getting one of the non-top-4 names, which is a risk in of itself, even if they are solid prospects. Why not just stick at No. 2 and get one of the elite names?
It's not like the Commanders are without draft picks, either. They hold three selections in the top-40 picks and six in the top-100. They also added a league-high 17 players in free agency with the idea that many of those guys will either start or play a lot of snaps in 2024. Depth is absolutely key, but you don't want to potentially hamper guys' development by burying them on the roster.
There are plenty of routes to take and options to consider at No. 2, but trading back shouldn't be one of either. The Commanders need to find an elite QB to turn the franchise around and the best way of ensuring that happens is sticking at No. 2 and taking their guy.
