Now that the Washington Commanders have traded quarterback Sam Howell, they can hone in on a QB prospect with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Who are the best options for Dan Quinn and Co.? Is there any choice other than Drake Maye or Caleb Williams?
Washington Commanders Trade Sam Howell, Reaffirm Interest in 2024 QB Class
It was widely believed that the Commanders would move on from 2023 starting QB Sam Howell and target a new QB with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, we have confirmation that this is the route Washington will take.
On Thursday afternoon, the Commanders traded Howell to the Seattle Seahawks to compete with veteran Geno Smith for the starting job. The trade involved two parallel pick swaps, with Washington acquiring pick Nos. 78 and 152, and the Seahawks acquiring pick Nos. 102 and 179.
Howell had his moments in a 2023 season that saw him nearly reach 4,000 yards passing, and as the Seahawks’ interest shows, he’s still a young QB with potential. But Howell’s volatile play — evidenced by his 21 touchdowns to 21 interceptions — and his inability to avoid sacks proved too debilitating for Washington’s offense.
With a new head coach in Quinn and a new general manager in Adam Peters, the Commanders are taking full advantage of the opportunity to reset and rebuild. But who should the top options be at No. 2 overall?
Commanders Top QB Targets in the 2024 NFL Draft
At No. 2 overall, the Commanders will be able to pick whoever’s left between USC’s Williams and North Carolina’s Maye after the Bears’ pick.
Obviously, more goes into a team’s evaluation than the film alone, and interviews and schematic fit will play a role. Nevertheless, off of the film, whoever’s left between Williams and Maye should absolutely be the pick for Washington.
While Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, and other potential first-round passers in the 2024 NFL Draft have talent, no QB prospects warrant the selection at No. 2 more than Williams or Maye.
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Not only is Drake Maye the most likely between him and Williams to be available at No. 2 overall, but Maye also holds a very slight lead over Williams as QB1 on my personal board.
Maye and Williams are essentially QB1a and QB1b for me. There’s no wrong choice between them off of film. But if Williams goes No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears, which is the prevailing expectation at this point, Maye is far and away the best selection to make for the Commanders at No. 2 overall.
Some Commanders fans may be apprehensive because Maye went to North Carolina, the same school as Howell. To those fans, I’d advise to not scout the helmet. The Tar Heels don’t have a great recent track record, but neither did Ohio State before C.J. Stroud.
Every prospect is different, and Maye is very different from former UNC QBs Howell and Mitchell Trubisky. Some have compared Maye to Justin Herbert. There’s merit there, but my comp is Jordan Love, and I think you can get the 2023 version of Love sooner rather than later.
At around 6’4″, 223 pounds, Maye has a tall, narrow, prototypical frame. And because he fits the prototype more closely than Williams, there has at times been a misconception this offseason that he’s the lower ceiling, more traditional counterpart. That’s not true.
For his size, Maye is an exceptional athlete who flashes high-end creative capacity, evasive freedom, and enough speed to serve as a threat on the ground with space. And beyond the athleticism, Maye has quantifiably elite arm talent, both in terms of strength and elasticity.
Both Maye and Williams have the high-end tools to create. But while Williams is much more prolific as a creator and has more volume off-script, Maye more often uses his high-level arm talent to elevate the offense from within structure.
KEEP READING: Top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
More than that, Maye also showcases the necessary processing ability, anticipation, pocket navigation, and active DB manipulation to weaponize his traits. Particularly on vertical seam shots and crossers, he’s lethal, but his talent expands to all ranges.
Williams, as a runner, has a level of change of direction and control that even Maye can’t match. One could also argue that Williams is more consistently accurate.
But looking at the full picture, Maye might have a better balance of physical talent and operational utility on Day 1 at the NFL level. And either way, both prospects grade as near blue-chip prospects at QB. It’s the kind of talent you invest in without hesitation.
Caleb Williams, USC
As of now, Williams is the heavy favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Bears. But on the off chance Maye or Daniels goes No. 1 instead, it’s the same conversation as it was for Washington with Maye: Don’t think — just run the card up.
In the media, Williams has been a polarizing figure at times. But on the field, there’s no questioning his talent or his competitive toughness and desire to win. And there’s no mistaking the special ability he has as a creator and as a passer.
In two years at USC, Williams completed 599 of 888 passes (67.5%) for 8,170 yards, 72 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions, and he also ran for 524 yards and 21 additional scores. From Day 1, the 2022 Heisman winner distinguished himself, just as a worthy No. 1 overall pick should.
To be clear, Williams isn’t a perfect prospect. The biggest knock on him is that he can more consistently take what’s given and avoid creating unnecessary chaos with his tendency to extend plays.
But Williams’ high-octane, high-variance play style casts a shadow on who’s otherwise a relatively clean and measured offensive conductor, with good discretion both in and out of structure.
Williams has the otherworldly creation capacity, change-of-direction, and off-platform comfort to make jaw-dropping plays, but he can also hit targets with routine accuracy, keep the chains moving, and function as the engine of the offense.
There’s still work to do before Williams reaches his peak — but as a QB prospect, he’s as advertised. And if reunited with Kingsbury, with Washington’s support, he should be able to thrive.
Jayden Daniels, LSU
In terms of raw grade, Daniels isn’t close to Williams or Maye on my board. He’s older than those two, he doesn’t have as much arm talent, and his anticipation over the middle of the field is inconsistent.
As a prospect, Daniels — while electric as a playmaker — is a tier below. But there does have to be a level of acknowledgement regarding Daniels’ potential to go No. 2 overall.
Lately, he’s been in that conversation, and it’s because of not only the raw talent and playmaking ability he possesses but also his fit in a Kliff Kingsbury offense that will most likely be largely derived from spread concepts.
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Daniels is a dynamic running threat with searing speed, agility, and creative feel, and he’s also an exceptional deep passer with accuracy, touch, and timing. Kingsbury’s spread concepts would allow Daniels to do what he does best: Attack vertically and take advantage of stretched defensive looks with his ability as a runner.
To re-emphasize: If it’s just about raw grade, Daniels isn’t in the same conversation of Williams or Maye. But schematic fit is very important in its own right, and while Williams and Maye are easy to scheme around, Daniels’ clear fit with Kingsbury’s background can’t be overlooked.
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