4 major Commanders observations from 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

Commanders have no shot at top-four QB prospects

Sam Howell looks ready for the upcoming challenge. But the Washington Commanders will leave no stone unturned in their quest to find the right quarterback to mentor or provide competition for the second-year-pro in 2023.

Ron Rivera didn’t fully commit himself to Howell during his NFL Scouting Combine media availability. Something that filed the fire that Washington might look elsewhere if Howell fails to maximize an exceptional opportunity to become the team’s starting option under center.

If the Commanders were planning on taking one of the consensus top-four quarterback prospects in 2023, that possibility has gone from a pipedream to absolutely out of the question. This is thanks in no small part to some dazzling performances from the likes of C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and to a lesser extent, Will Levis.

Richardson, in particular, was nothing short of jaw-dropping en route to some record-breaking numbers. Something that almost guarantees one team is going to gamble on his phenomenal upside in the top 10 or even the top five given the potential for frenzied trade activity early on.

Unless the Commanders are willing to cough up a ridiculous trade package to involve themselves, they should plan for alternatives. Free agency is the most likely scenario, but the ongoing developments surrounding Lamar Jackson could completely alter the team’s thought process depending on how it plays out.