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The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a month away. While nothing is written in stone, many believe USC star Caleb Williams will be the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears.
Therefore, the 2024 NFL Draft really starts with the Washington Commanders and the No. 2 pick. The Commanders recently traded last year’s starting quarterback, Sam Howell, to the Seattle Seahawks, leaving no doubt that they will select a quarterback with the second overall selection.
While everyone believes Washington will select a quarterback with the second overall pick, which one will they draft? Let’s dive into it.
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Which Quarterbacks Could the Washington Commanders Select?
There are three potential options for the Commanders to draft with the second overall pick. The trio is LSU’s Jayden Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Eight months ago, everyone would have said Maye is the clear-cut No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, things changed over the college football season.
Daniels had an unbelievable year, totaling 40 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing scores, and only four interceptions on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. The LSU star had a breakout 2023 season, but some are worried about his lone year of elite production.
Maye was outstanding in his first season as a full-time starter in 2022, completing 66.2% of his pass attempts for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. However, he regressed last year after losing Josh Downs and others to the NFL. Yet, Maye still had a 24-9 touchdown to interception rate in 2023.
McCarthy’s draft stock has been rising since Michigan won the National Championship. While he didn’t put up massive numbers at Michigan because of the team’s elite running game and defense, McCarthy still had 49 passing touchdowns and only 11 interceptions during his college career. More importantly, NFL teams are reportedly intrigued by the quarterback’s traits and view him as an elite prospect.
1. Mobility
2. Awareness
3. AnticipationThree traits that stand out about QB J.J. McCarthy. All eyes are on Michigan Pro Day today. pic.twitter.com/QmVyJKKpIB
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) March 22, 2024
Who Will the Washington Commanders Select?
You could ask three different NFL insiders who the Commanders will draft and get a different answer from all of them. The betting market has Daniels as the favorite to get selected second overall by Washington. However, McCarthy’s odds have quickly changed.
Over the past few days, his odds of being the second overall pick have changed from +2500 to +350 on BetMGM. Yet, McCarthy’s odds are still the third longest behind Daniels (-135) and Maye (+170).
JJ McCarthy’s odds to be 2nd Pick in NFL Draft at #BetMGM
+2500: Yesterday
+800: This morning
+350: Now 📈 pic.twitter.com/XZkCUy227q
— John Ewing (@johnewing) March 26, 2024
New general manager Adam Peters has done an excellent job keeping how the team feels about the quarterback in-house. Don’t expect to know who they will draft until the team turns in the card on draft night. My guess is Daniels will be the Commanders’ Week 1 starting quarterback.
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