The Washington Commanders, with the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, will have to decide between Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or J.J. McCarthy to be the next franchise quarterback. Everyone is assuming that the Chicago Bears will be taking Caleb Williams with the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so Washington will have its pick of the remaining crop.
In a lot of mock drafts, a lot of people believe that Jayden Daniels will be the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL by the Commanders, but there will be a lot of speculating. Some people think that Washington could take Drake Maye, but there have been other smokescreens where J.J. McCarthy could be taken second overall.
A lot of guesses will finally end in two weeks from now when the NFL Draft takes place in Detroit, Michigan. In the latest NFL Mock Draft given by The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner, he has the Washington Commanders selecting quarterback Drake Maye from North Carolina with this pick instead of Jayden Daniels from the LSU Tigers.
The reasoning Baumgardner gave as to why the Commanders would do this is as follows:
“Maye is still growing as a passer, particularly in his consistency processing from the pocket. When you stack him up next to Jayden Daniels, though, Maye’s strengths are stronger and the weaknesses are similar. This will be a preference decision for Adam Peters and the Washington front office. For me, Maye is QB2.”
Drake Maye could very well have a higher upside than Jayden Daniels. Maye’s body frame is fitter for the NFL than Daniels’ is.
The Washington Commanders Taking Drake Maye Second Overall In the 2024 NFL Draft Would Be the Smart Move
Washington going with Maye second overall would be the smart move for the franchise. He is 6’4″ and weighs 230 lbs. Daniels is also 6’4″ and weighs 210 lbs, but he is skinner than Drake Maye. His stats with the North Carolina Tar Heels last season was a 63.3% completion percentage for 3,608 yards passing, 24 touchdowns, and nine touchdowns.
He rushed for 449 yards on 112 carries and nine touchdowns, along with averaging 4.0 yards per carry. If Maye is not selected with the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he could slid a little bit. It appears as if the New England Patriots like J.J. McCarthy more than Maye.
Wouldn’t it be something if the Commanders took Jayden Daniels second overall and then Maye slipped sixth to the New York Giants and had a better NFL career than Daniels? This is why it is hard to evaluate quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The quarterback they choose in this draft class will all be dependent on what Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury likes. What if Washington liking Daniels and McCarthy a lot is just a smokescreen to draft Maye when it is all said and done? It is possible this could be the case and would be the smart move for them at the quarterback position.