Commanders' WR Luke McCaffrey 'Doesn't Move The Needle'

The Washington Commanders had a fruitful free agency period, signing a host of veteran players and then complemented that with a solid haul of draft selections, headlined by Jayden Daniels.

But third-round pick Luke McCaffrey is an interesting proposition. Initially a quarterback, McCaffrey switched to receiver and was used as such by Rice last season. However, he was also used out of the backfield, which highlights the many arrows in his quiver.

However, CBS Sports doesn’t see McCaffrey moving the offensive needle for Washington in 2024.

“Going against the McCaffrey family has historically been a losing proposition, but he was taken earlier than expected,” CBS Sports writes. “He is an accountable prospect but does not move the needle significantly in the grand scheme of things.”

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Analyzing CBS Sports’ comments, do many third-round picks actually “move the needle” for the respective teams? We don’t think so.

McCaffrey would be a good depth piece for a Washington offense that already has the emerging Jahan Dotson and veteran Terry McLaurin. Considering that McCaffrey can be used in a variety of different ways, he could be the Swiss Army Knife for the Commanders’ offense in 2024.

As a receiver last year, McCaffrey hauled in 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 14 yards per reception. He also totaled 117 yards out of the backfield on 15 carries (averaging 7.8 yards per rush), so there are two ways Kingsbury can use McCaffrey.

However, as far as being a “needle mover,” McCaffrey likely isn’t that, but he can be a useful weapon for Kingsbury and Daniels in 2024 and more than prove his worth as a third-round selection.