The Washington Commanders enter the 2023 NFL draft Thursday night with the No. 16 overall pick. There are a number of ways Washington could go with its first, but much of that depends on what happens in front of them.
There are some positions we can rule out. The Commanders aren’t taking a wide receiver or a defensive tackle in round one. It’s unlikely they take a running back in the first round, either.
Another position Washington seems to be out on in the first round is quarterback. The top two quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL draft, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, will be long gone. Will Levis and Anthony Richardson will likely be gone, and no one knows how interested the Commanders are in either of those passers.
We know Washington has some degree of interest in Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. However, that’s likely not happening in the first round. If Hooker fell to Washington at pick No. 47, that would be interesting. The latest chatter has Hooker making it to the first round, though.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, he “would be very surprised” if the Commanders took a quarterback in the first round or early in this week’s draft. Additionally, Breer said “most teams” would also be surprised.
Even more interesting, Breer speculated that Washington could add more draft capital for 2024 to potentially make a run at USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is a native of Washington, D.C.
Here’s what Breer said about the Commanders and Williams:
I, and most teams, would be very surprised if the Commanders took a quarterback, to the point where some have speculated the team could move capital into 2024 to ready for a run then at D.C.–area native Caleb Williams. (You probably have to be the worst team in the league to get him, because whoever that team is probably won’t trade his rights away.)
Washington isn’t likely to be the worst team in the NFL in 2023 unless Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett are terrible. Ideally, Howell proves he can be Washington’s quarterback of the future, but if he isn’t, it would be smart for the Commanders to position themselves for a chance — an outside chance — to add the ammunition to move to the top of the 2024 NFL draft.
With the Commanders having new ownership by next year, they could be looking to add a fresh, young star as they look to land a deal to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C. There would be no better fresh, new star than Williams.
But, as Breer noted, this is pure speculation. Head coach Ron Rivera isn’t interested in 2024. He’s interested in doing everything possible to win in 2023, and Washington’s 2023 draft will likely reflect that.