7 intriguing prospects who could follow Kliff Kingsbury to the Commanders
Could Kliff Kingsbury bang the table for some familiar faces?
By Dean Jones
The Washington Commanders pulled off a heist by naming Kliff Kingsbury as their new offensive coordinator. It looked for a long time as if the experienced play-caller was heading to the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the influence of Magic Johnson coupled with being sold the ambitious project convinced him to make a surprising last-minute change of plans.
Kingsbury's experience working with proven quarterbacks and his expansive scheme should ensure improvements arrive offensively next season. The Commanders need to find the right signal-caller at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but confidence is high heading into the first selection process with Adam Peters leading the charge.
Of course, Kingsbury's voice could be influential. He spent last season with the USC Trojans, so he'll be able to provide some useful insight into potential prospects of interest. However, reuniting the coordinator with Caleb Williams won't happen given the quarterback is going to the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall.
With that being said, here are seven intriguing prospects who could follow Kingsbury to the Commanders in 2024.
Commanders could draft Austin Jones (RB)
It seems like the Washington Commanders are pretty solid at the running back position. Brian Robinson Jr. looks set for bigger things in 2024 after emerging as one of the team's few bright spots last time around. Those in power also secured the services of Austin Ekeler, which could be a masterstroke on and off the field. There's also hope surrounding Chris Rodriguez Jr. after he flashed as a rookie.
That said, the Commanders won't hesitate to bring in additional competition if they feel like it could benefit them in the short and long term. Kliff Kingsbury knows Austin Jones well, so he could be an option to consider further down the pecking order.
Jones isn't the biggest and his testing scores throughout pre-draft assessments weren't exactly stellar. However, the prospect has outstanding on-field vision and the instincts needed to potentially carve out a role for himself in the right environment.
The player's top-end speed wouldn't be elite by any stretch. There are also problems with contact balance on occasion. But if anyone can provide an indicator of what he might bring to the Commanders, it's Kingsbury.