Months after transferring ownership from the controversial Daniel Snyder to a group headed by billionaire Josh Harris and hiring Dan Quinn to replace Ron Rivera as head coach, the Washington Commanders have an immense opportunity to reshape their team very quickly.
They will have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, which will give them the opportunity to take a potential franchise quarterback.
Washington almost certainly won’t get to take Caleb Williams, but Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye should be available, and Rivera said on ESPN’s “NFL Live” that Daniels should be the choice for his former team.
Ron Rivera weighs in on why the Commanders should target Jayden Daniels in the draft 👀 pic.twitter.com/9kw0GycUEU
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 7, 2024
Rivera said that new Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury favors a QB who is mobile, and Daniels would fit that mold.
Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions in 2023, and he also added 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground for Louisiana State University.
There are some concerns about the fact that he weighs less than 200 pounds, but he seems to have almost everything else in terms of basic abilities to succeed greatly at the next level.
The last time the Commanders had a high-quality quarterback was in 2012, when they took Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick, only to see him suffer a serious knee injury late in the year.
He was never quite the same in the years that followed.
The Commanders will also have a ton of salary cap space which they can use to give themselves help at various spots, including wide receiver, their offensive line, and throughout their defense.
If they use these tools wisely, perhaps they can return to the success they had in the 1980s and early 1990s not too long from now.
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