The Washington Commanders have a franchise-altering decision to make at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. As many see it, Washington has three options: It could draft Drake Maye out of UNC, select the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels out of LSU or trade the pick for a king's ransom and stock up on draft ammunition. But, could the Commanders surprise everyone by going a different route?
In speaking with team executives at the NFL's Annual League Meeting, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero says the most popular answer for where the Commanders go at No. 2 overall is Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy is a prospect that has seemingly seen his stock rise over the course of the past few months, but him going No. 2 overall would be pretty shocking. His former head coach in Jim Harbaugh, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, has been banging the drum for his guy, saying McCarthy had the best pro day workout he's ever seen, and proclaiming him the best quarterback in this draft.
McCarthy went 27-1 as the starter at Michigan, which is good enough for third-best by any quarterback in FBS history, and ended his college career as a national champion. In 40 total games played at Michigan, McCarthy threw 49 touchdowns compared to just 11 interceptions. He was efficient, and a quarterback NFL pundits believe could have a very bright future.
If the Commanders have indeed fallen in love with McCarthy, they probably should explore a trade down. The highest our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts have McCarthy going at this moment is No. 5 to the Minnesota Vikings in a mock trade with Harbaugh's Chargers.
If Washington were to select McCarthy No. 2 overall, it would have major ramifications on this draft. For one, the New England Patriots at No. 3 would have their choice of Drake or Daniels -- or the option to trade down for what could be a huge haul. In this hypothetical, New England would likely stick around and choose its new starting quarterback, but that would still lead to an intriguing situation for the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 overall. Arizona is expected by many to select Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., but if Maye or Daniels were available, the Cards would have trade options.
Ultimately, the Commanders have some work to do. New general manager Adam Peters told NBC4 Sports that they are "far from our answer."
