4 major gambles the Commanders cannot afford in the 2023 NFL Draft

Commanders can’t gamble on QB trade-up

As stated previously, the Washington Commanders are planning to begin the season with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett as their quarterback options. Who’ll play in Week 1 is dependent on the training camp victor, but it’s a call Ron Rivera must get right with his job at stake in 2023.

New owners will look to stamp their own mark on the franchise immediately. Whether this means influencing draft decisions is anyone’s guess, but if one of the consensus top-four quarterbacks starts falling, a potential trade-up enters the equation.

Someone like Anthony Richardson and Will Levis are obvious candidates, although how realistic this scenario is in the grand scheme of things won’t be decided until the big night. Whichever way it goes, the Commanders cannot afford such a gamble no matter how desperate Rivera is for legitimate improvements next time around.

Levis and Richardson are raw and unpolished. Both have an upside that cannot be ignored, but it might take some time before they can fulfill their undoubted promise.

Now, if C.J. Stroud began tumbling down the order, it’s a different story. Even though the chances of this are remote based on the player’s pure passing brilliance.

Either way, the Commanders should stick to their guns with Howell and Brissett. This saves their draft capital for a strong 2024 crop of quarterbacks in the event neither reaches expectations.