5 quarterbacks the Commanders could select in the 2023 NFL Draft

Commanders could draft Adrian Martinez

Of all the quarterbacks on this list, Adrian Martinez has the biggest arm. At 6-foot-3 and 219 pounds, he is also the biggest player.

Martinez has baggage, though little of it is his fault. He happened to be the face of Nebraska football when the Cornhusker program was imploding, becoming the guy who always made the big mistake at the wrong moment.

He has the tools. Martinez has a very good arm. He is big and fast. He can run. Watch him for a few plays and you’ll start to drool. Watch for an entire game and those mistakes will rear up.

Martinez made his share of big plays at Nebraska. But in his fifth year – now at Kansas State – he showed a lot more consistency and control.

That might have something to do with the situation in which he found himself, or perhaps he simply had matured through five long seasons. Unfortunately, Martinez hurt his leg against Baylor in early November, and except for a brief cameo against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, he did not play another down for the Wildcats.

Still, he remained an active member of the team, helping mentor his replacement Will Howard for the rest of the season – a testament to Martinez’s character.

With all the barbs slung at him during his time in Nebraska, I never saw him swing back or check out. That says something about his mental toughness.

I’m not at all convinced Martinez can ever be a consistent enough player to lead an NFL team. But with good coaching on the Washington Commanders and some time to adjust, he might be the kind of player who improves once he hits the pros.