New Year, New Look – Washington Commanders 2024 Draft Profile

The Washington Commanders have received a facelift, and with that change has come some valleys they have to climb out of. 2023 saw players and coaches be shipped out and a new regime brought in to start the new era in Commanders football.

This team will now look to build from the ground up, no longer depending on carryovers from times long gone and it all starts with the NFL Draft.

 

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Kingsley Suamaitaia, Tackle, BYU

Brennan Jackson, Edge, Washington State

 

Sam Howell showed flashes last season but Washington has been in flux at quarterback since Kirk Cousins departed the team. Drafting a signal caller with franchise stabilizing talent is paramount.

It’s almost poetic justice to get Howell’s successor at North Carolina, Drake Maye.

Maye has been one of the most polished passers in college football over the last three seasons, amassing over 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns over that span. He displays the arm talent to make any throw asked of him, as well as the athleticism to make plays with his legs if the play breaks down.

Washington needs to get the QB that maximizes the talented weapons they have on roster, and with the #2 pick they will be in prime position to get Maye.

You can’t get a franchise QB and not protect him, so getting a sure-fire blindside protector is important.

Kingsley Suamataia is the most athletic tackle in the draft. His movement ability, size and technique are all near the top of the draft class. The only mark on his resume is that he primarily played on the right side in college, but he is ambidextrous, which will aid in his transition to left tackle.

In the mid rounds the Commanders will need to look to find talent at the edge rusher position. They traded both of their top talents and will have to allocate draft capital to bolster that position.

Brennan Jackson out of Washington State fits the bill as a long-term contributor at the pro level.

Jackson has the motor of the energizer bunny in the body of a Ford F-150. He shows good point of attack strength, using good lower body drive to push the pocket. He plays a lot faster than his stature dictates, and can stand-up as an outside linebacker offering great versatility.

New head coach Dan Quinn values that type of skillset in his edge rushers, and Jackson could carve out a role in this Washington defense early.

The Commanders enter the 2024 NFL Draft with every opportunity to change the trajectory of their franchise. The new ownership group will want to field the best product possible, and this draft will be of the highest priority to do so.