Commanders deep dive: Washington's fickle history of first-round quarterbacks

Patrick Ramsey - 2002

Few quarterbacks in franchise history were served more poorly by their coaches than Patrick Ramsey. The Tulane product was chosen with the final pick in the 2022 first round and had the misfortune of joining a team that was being taken over by a new coach who didn’t want him.

Steve Spurrier came from the Florida Gators and brought two of his former college quarterbacks with him. Neither Shane Matthews nor Danny Wuerffel had as good an arm as Ramsey, but the coach put both ahead of the rookie on his depth chart.

Ramsey may not have been ready for the NFL, having held out for more than two weeks while negotiating his contract during training camp. But it became clear that though he showed a lot of potential, Spurrier still preferred his journeymen Gators under center.

When the coach was forced to accept that Ramsey was the better player in 2003, the now-Washington Commanders' roster and overall play had disintegrated to the point that he - and any other quarterback they put on the field - were constantly being manhandled by opposing defenses. Then franchise savior Joe Gibbs arrived and immediately traded for aging veteran Mark Brunell.

Like Spurrier, Gibbs showed no interest in developing the young quarterback. Ramsey played four seasons in Washington, showing flashes of talent and posting respectable, unspectacular numbers. He did little after leaving D.C., which perhaps suggests he would not have thrived if given the chance. But we will never know how he might have done with more attentive coaching.

Jason Campbell - 2005

Jason Campbell was Washington’s second first-round selection in 2005. He followed his college teammate Carlos Rogers from Auburn to D.C. when the team traded multiple picks to the Denver Broncos to get the No. 25 overall selection. He joined a team that still had Ramsey and Brunell at the top of the depth chart, so he was going to be given time to develop.

Ramsey began 2005 as the starter but was replaced by Brunell when he struggled early. The veteran, coming off a down year in 2004, played well enough to keep Campbell on the bench. But the following year, he could not move the offense and the Mississippi native got his shot.

Campbell played well enough to start 52 games over the next four seasons. He established himself as a solid, middle-of-the-road quarterback. After his first year as a starter, Gibbs suddenly retired and left the team directionless.

New coach Jim Zorn proved overmatched for the job. Like Ramsey, Campbell struggled in less-than-ideal circumstances. He was dealt to the Raiders in 2010 for a fourth-round draft pick.