Adam Peters is set to make his first draft pick for the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall. This will be a selection that determines the team's future trajectory.
Washington will be selecting a quarterback, but which one will be announced as the next face of the Commanders come draft night? Nobody knows for sure, but that's the way Peters wants it - at this stage anyway.
Looking ahead to the landmark decision we, took an in-depth look at those with the biggest chance to be the pick. These, of course, are Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy.
Let's start with the Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU.
Potential Commanders picks at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft
Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels is the current odds-on favorite to be selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Commanders. He is, in my opinion, the third-best quarterback in this class, but a good prospect that can be developed into an elite signal-caller.
Daniels has a lot of developing to do, but his potential is sky-high. If he pans out, the Commanders will be in playoff contention if they go in this direction.
A good pro comp for Daniels is Justin Fields. The LSU sensation is electric with the ball in his hands. He is a natural athlete and a significant dual-threat. If he gets into space, it is most likely a house call.
He can easily evade defenders. He displays elite intermediate accuracy, which in many cases has been a good indication for a quarterback panning out in the NFL. Daniels shows great touch on the football. He has good footwork and that combined with his ability to evade defenders makes for smooth pocket management. Due to his explosiveness and athleticism, he excels at off-rhythm plays.
Even though there is a lot to love in Daniels’ game and his fit with the Commanders, there are some big flaws and things he needs to develop. The biggest concern is his weight. He is listed at 210 pounds, but if you watch him play, he looks a lot thinner. Being a quarterback who runs a ton, he can get hurt very easily.
His arm isn’t as great as it looks in-game because he had two first-round wide receivers - Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. There would constantly be times when Daniels would underthrow them and their pure talent would save it. His short accuracy needs some work, but this can be developed with an NFL coach.
Daniels' processing needs a lot of work. He tended to be a one-read quarterback in college. This worked because he was always arguably the best athlete on the field, but it won't fly as much at the next level. He also needs to do a much better job at throwing to the middle of the field.
Drake Maye
Drake Maye is an elite quarterback prospect and is my personal choice for the Washington Commanders. He has his flaws but shows true unteachable talent that can take this team to the next level.
A notable pro comp for him is Justin Herbert. If Maye reaches his ceiling, I could see him being how Carson Wentz was in 2017 when he was well on his way to an NFL MVP before getting injured.
Maye lost a lot of talent from his offense going into the 2023 season. His best option - Devontez Walker - was injured for four games. Due to this, the signal-caller was fighting for his life. His receivers constantly dropped dots. Even with this, his talent was still extremely evident.
The North Carolina prospect has arguably the best arm strength in the class. The only quarterbacks that rival it are Joe Milton and Caleb Williams. Due to his poor offensive line, Maye had to run a lot. Through this, he displayed the ability to create and perform in off-rhythm plays.
He combines arm strength with athleticism by evading defenders and throwing when a window becomes available. Maye has very good mobility. He won’t be a Lamar Jackson, but he is capable of producing a 300-yard rushing season in the NFL. His accuracy and ball placement are extremely good. He's also got an NFL-ready build at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds.
His mechanics aren’t good. That’s easily his biggest concern. It’s why he air-mails balls at times.
This is something a coaching staff can develop in the NFL, but it will take some time. Maye's biggest mechanical issue is his footwork. He tends to drift toward his intended receiver, which leads to inaccuracies, unnecessary pressure, and sacks.
Maye also shows some inconsistencies in his accuracy, but I don’t think it’s as bad as people think. It does, however, lead him to miss some very routine throws. This left his tape in 2023 looking like a rollercoaster. His processing is fine, but he has some throws where you just wonder where he was looking, and those sometimes lead to bad interceptions.
J.J. McCarthy
Is J.J. McCarthy worthy of a top 5 pick? No, but I do think he is a little underrated.
The big thing with McCarthy is he’s a winner and a leader. This shouldn't have a positive impact on his draft stock, but it means a little something. His maturity level is impressive. People make the argument that he was never asked to throw because Michigan ran the ball frequently, which is true. But he always stepped up in key passing moments.
McCarthy does something that every NFL quarterback has to have - that is throw well across the middle. This was his best trait in college. He is like a seasoned veteran when playing in structure. He always takes what the defense gives him. The Wolverines' standout sometimes makes great out-of-structure plays, but he doesn’t force them.
His processing is odd. McCarthy has some pre-snap recognition concerns. He isn’t as gifted athletically as Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, but he shows enough that it can help when the situation dictates.
Not throwing a ton in Michigan’s offense is a slight concern. The biggest complication when the Washington Commanders study McCarthy is his ball placement and accuracy. It’s not great. The only reason it didn’t lead to more pass breakups and interceptions is the standard of competition.
If McCarthy plays with the same poor accuracy and ball placement in the NFL, it will lead to a lot more turnover-worthy mistakes. This also leads to a poor short-area game and hinders the receivers' ability for yards after the catch. He also seems to lock onto his first pre-snap read for way too long.
McCarthy's arm strength is nowhere near good enough for him to get away with rolling out of a clean pocket, as he needs to set a base and wind up to throw a long ball. Opposite of his elite ability to throw to the middle of the field, he signal-caller struggled heavily with throwing to outside the numbers.
That said, the Commanders are right to examine his prospects in greater detail. Whether it's enough to make him the guy at No. 2 overall is another matter.