The Washington Commanders feel pretty good about their quarterback position in 2023, especially after signing Jacoby Brissett early in free agency.
Washington’s goal for 2023 is to see Sam Howell compete with Brissett for the starting position. The Commanders would love Howell to win the competition because it would mean they’d potentially have their quarterback of the future, while Brissett would bring stability as an elite backup.
But what if Washington’s love of Howell is just lip service? Could the Commanders draft a quarterback in next month’s NFL draft if one slides down the board? What if Washington sees one of the top four passers falling and decides to move up and draft him?
That’s a scenario Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports envisions in his latest mock draft.
The quarterback in question is Will Levis of Kentucky.
In this scenario, Washington would move up five spots to No. 11 in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. It’s the exact scenario from one year ago when the Commanders moved down from No. 11 to No. 16 and selected wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
With Levis falling, the Commanders make a move before a few other QB-needy teams can snatch him. Personally, I think the Commanders would be better served to “tank” in 2023 and go after a top QB in next year’s class, but nothing about the current regime leads me to believe that’s in consideration. They like Sam Howell, but they don’t love him.
My takeaway: How does Fornelli know Washington doesn’t love Howell? No one, unless they are on Washington’s coaching staff, knows how much potential they see in Howell. Sure, it’s a bit risky to think someone selected in the fifth round is your future starter, but Howell was rated much higher on many people’s boards ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
And why would the Commanders move up for Levis? The raw potential is there, but there are plenty of concerns. This mock draft just doesn’t make sense. Now if Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud, or Bryce Young began to slide, you can’t rule anything out. However, those three aren’t making it out of the top five.
The Commanders aren’t going all-in on a rookie passer this offseason. But don’t be surprised if Washington doesn’t come out of the NFL draft with a quarterback at some point. Jake Fromm is currently the Commanders’ third quarterback, and they will add another at some point.