4 Commanders on the hot seat entering the 2024 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
Kliff Kingsbury - Commanders OC
Kliff Kingsbury's dramatic U-turn thanks to Magic Johnson's influence saw him become Washington Commanders offensive coordinator. The promise of schematic control and the chance to become heavily influential in the team's choice of quarterback at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft is thought to have played a significant role in his decision to spurn the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kingsbury's connection to Caleb Williams from their time together at USC led to speculation about the Commanders making a daring trade-up to No. 1 overall earlier in the process. This was nothing more than a pipedream, but there are plenty of other intriguing candidates for the play-caller to assess before giving his opinion.
While Adam Peters and other trusted members of the front office will make the call, Kingsbury's influence shouldn't be overlooked. He'll need a quarterback that can implement his offensive strategy to the highest degree. He needs to maximize this second NFL opportunity, so his thoughts will hold more weight than most when push comes to shove.
Kingsbury will also come under the microscope throughout the quarterback's transition. He needs to integrate them seamlessly into his schematic concepts, ensure they develop chemistry with the team's pass-catchers quickly, and immerse them into the playbook and culture before the time for competitive action begins once again.
There is a huge amount of responsibility on Kingsbury both before, during, and after the draft. Many questioned whether he was deserving of such a role after how things ended with the Arizona Cardinals, but the Commanders had genuine conviction behind the hire as someone who could help improve on-field matters and provide high-quality assessments on potential prospects of interest.
He won't make the final decision, that'll be down to Peters as part of what will hopefully be a consensus agreement after months of deliberation. But the pressure is on Kingsbury to make his voice heard and do whatever it takes to get Washington's next signal-caller up to speed as a matter of urgency.