Way-too-early Washington Commanders 2024 NFL Draft preview

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

The 2024 NFL Draft is April 25-27 in Detroit. Here is the first-round order, per Tankathon.

Washington has the second-overall pick for the second time in five years. With less than one full year of NFL ownership under his belt, Josh Harris hopes to do better for his last place Commanders.

2023 record: 4-13 | First-round pick: No. 2 | Team needs: QB, EDGE, RB

Potential first-round picks: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU; Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina; Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama

Quarterback Sam Howell did better than expected as a first-year starter, but the second-overall pick affords Washington a chance to grab elite talent at the position. With USC’s Caleb Williams considered the consensus No. 1 pick, Maye is a fine option for new general manager Adam Peters.

Pro Football Network’s Ian Cumming’s calls Maye one of the best talents to come out over the past few cycles with skills comparable to young quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and C.J. Stroud.

Maye fell off a bit last season after losing his offensive coordinator but completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns with another 698 yards rushing and seven scores in 2022.

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Maye is bigger than Williams and draws comparisons to Buffalo’s Josh Allen. North Carolina’s all-time leading passer didn’t participate in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he’s put enough on tape to become Washington’s next starting quarterback.

So did LSU’s Jayden Daniels. This year’s Heisman Trophy winner also sat out drills at the combine, but left little doubt about his ability after finishing 2023 with 3,812 yards passing and 40 touchdowns while rushing for another 1,134 yards and 10 scores.

Given new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s long history with athletic, dual-threat quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray, it’s not hard to imagine him pushing for Daniels.

Of course, the team’s new defensive coordinator, Joe Whitt Jr., should be pounding the table for an edge-rusher. Washington allowed a league-high 30.5 points per game last year and after trading Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the deadline and finished with 39 sacks, seventh-fewest in the NFL.

If they choose, the Commanders could always trade back a few spots, pick up a few extra draft picks and add Turner. The 6-foot-4, 242-pound linebacker had 10 sacks for Alabama last season and put on a show by running a 4.46 40-yard dash with freakish measurables at the combine.

He won’t last past the top-10 picks, but if Peters can work a deal with another quarterback-needy team, Turner could be the guy.

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