5 quarterbacks the Commanders could select in the 2023 NFL Draft

Commanders could draft Jake Haener

Of all the possible Day 3 quarterbacks, Jake Haener would be my top choice. And the reason is pretty simple.

The other quarterbacks on this list all make at least as many big plays with their legs as with their arms. Haener makes a lot of big plays – and they are almost all with his arm.

That isn’t to say he can’t move. He moves very well within the pocket and has enough athleticism to take off when everything breaks down. Haener is looking to throw first and foremost, and though he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm, he does the two things that all great quarterbacks do: quick processing and great touch/accuracy on his throws.

After a cup of coffee at the University of Washington, Haener transferred to Fresno State, where he played in 29 games. He has a career completion percentage of 68 percent and in 2022, the prospect completed passes at a 72% rate.

That season, he also boasted a gaudy 8.4 yards-per-attempt and a 20-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Though at 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds, he is undersized and durability will always be a concern, Haener rose to multiple big occasions in college. The signal-caller played a sensational game against Dorian Thompson-Robinson and UCLA in 2021, and then after an injury early in the 2022 season, he returned to lead the Bulldogs to six straight wins, averaging 37 points per game.

If he were three inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, Haener would be a candidate for the first round. But he still has the potential to develop into a solid starter at the pro level – or at least a top-tier backup.

The Washington Commanders didn’t select Gus Frerotte in the seventh round in 1994 to start him over first-rounder Heath Shuler. Many people thought Mike Shanahan had a screw loose when he took Kirk Cousins in the fourth round in the 2012 draft, after trading up to grab Robert Griffin III in the first. But both Day 3 picks would have much better careers than their first-round teammates.

Last year, I don’t think anyone saw Bailey Zappe and Brock Purdy developing into legitimate challengers for the starting spot on teams with recent high draft picks already in place. But the NFL is a strange world.

These five quarterbacks will either be drafted on Day 3 or will sign as undrafted free agents. One of them might end up playing meaningful minutes for the Commanders.