The Washington Commanders may have the most difficult decision to make of the entire 2024 NFL Draft, and it is possible they have already made it.
The Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft and need a quarterback. Caleb Williams is a virtual lock to be taken by the Chicago Bears with the top pick, which means Washington will be left to choose between Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Commanders are leaning toward drafting the former.
Breer said on NBC Sports Boston Thursday that he has been given the impression that the Commanders prefer Daniels over Maye.
“The more I’ve started to ask around, the more it seems like Jayden Daniels is probably the leader in the clubhouse to be a Commander,” Breer said, as transcribed by Dakota Randall of Pro Football Network. “It does match up with what Kliff Kingsbury’s looked for in his quarterbacks over the years. Obviously, Jayden Daniels had a great season last season at LSU. … I think right now, again, this can change over the next few weeks, I think Jayden Daniels is the leader in the clubhouse to be the second overall pick.”
The draft is still over a month away, and we will likely hear a lot of contradicting information leading up to it. A report earlier this month claimed new Commanders general manager Adam Peters is high on Maye, so it is possible Washington’s front office does not have consensus yet.
It is widely assumed that Daniels and Maye will be the second and third picks in the draft in some order, but another quarterback could also enter the mix.
Daniels threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions last season. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to winning the Heisman Trophy. Maye had 3,608 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He added 449 yards and 9 scores on the ground.
