Commanders Draft 2024 and further help needed?

The dust has now settled on the NFL Draft 2024.

For the Washington Commanders, it was never going to be realistically possible to fix all the ills of the 2023 season.

New General Manager Adam Peters, however, does appear to have made quite the impact in both free agency and the draft.

There was a real feeling of authenticity in the work put in by the Washington Front Office; you could even make the case that the name ‘Commanders’ itself made a tentative step forward with an emphasis on signing and drafting ‘commander types’.

Here at UKHTTC, we welcome back our American contributor Andy Eckert, who, along with UKHTTC founder Christian Burt, highlight the picks that raised excitement and also addressed lingering questions for the burgundy & gold going into the 2024 season.

First up, Andy.

Favourite Rookie Picks

Ben Sinnott - TE/HB, Kansas State

Ben Sinnott, selected from Kansas State, is a promising prospect whose versatile play style has drawn favourable comparisons to notable NFL TE guys like George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk from GM Adam Peters.

Sinnott has the ability to excel both in blocking and receiving and gives Washington a multifaceted weapon on offense.

Given his skills, he's poised to be a significant presence on the field, offering the Commanders a dual-threat option who can contribute to various facets of their offensive scheme.

Johnny Newton - DT, Illinois

Johnny Newton, a second-round pick, was a surprising choice but brings considerable talent to the defensive line. His role is expected to involve heavy rotation, helping to keep starters like Jonathan Allen fresh and effective throughout the season.

The potential for Newton to share the field with both Daron Payne and Allen points to a dynamic and robust defensive front.

His long-term prospects as a starter are promising.

Head Scratcher

While the Commanders' draft strategy appears well-founded, with coherent explanations for each selection, the decision not to sign a kicker on Saturday night surprised me. Maybe they are eyeing kickers from the UFL to compete with McManus after the UFL season is over?

What’s Next in Free Agency?

The third wave of free agency could provide the Commanders with additional opportunities to strengthen their lineup.

The draft saw many teams selecting tackles, which might lead to the release of veteran LTs from those teams. Washington could benefit from such developments, potentially finding a decent calibre player like a Charles Leno (from a few years ago) unexpectedly available.

Additionally, the team could enhance its secondary or receiving corps with seasoned professionals, such as a veteran cornerback or a tall wide receiver, such as the likes of Tyler Boyd.

And thoughts from Christian.

Favourite Rookie Picks

Jayden Daniels – QB, LSU

Like many a fan, I have to confess to flip-flopping between Daniels and Drake Maye with the number 2 pick of the draft.

The fact the Patriots took Maye with the very next pick likely shows both Jayden and Drake have the potential to be high-functioning QBs in the National Football League.

What I really loved about the acquisition of Daniels, however, was the clear consensus across the Washington front office and coaching staff that this was unanimously their guy.

This leads to the justified belief that Head Coach Dan Quinn and his supporting staff have a clear plan for how to utilise the dual-threat capability of Daniels. Put it this way, I doubt in 2024 we revisit the head-scratching QB fall back and pass mess of the Bieniemy-coached 2023 season on offense.

Brandon Coleman - OL, TCU

The Commanders OL was a major concern last season and taking a potential future LT in the third might turn out to be a steal.

In 2022, Coleman was deployed almost exclusively in the LT role, but 2023 was a slight downturn at TCU as Brandon was moved often to LG and also battled through numerous injuries. He has the athleticism and prototypical size to play as a tackle in the NFL and in a best case possible, Brandon might claim that spot from Cornelius Lucas in the second half of the season.

Even in a worst scenario, and Brandon isn’t the answer at LT, the Commanders will still have drafted a dual-position flexible OL guy in the third round and can address the LT position with a much higher pick in the 2025 draft.

Head Scratcher

At pick 100, Washington selected WR Luke McCaffrey.

Might there be an element of this being an Adam Peters ‘trust me/family ties’ pick rather than a fully consensus decision? The expectation will be that McCaffrey will be the slot receiver in 2024 and that might be a significant drop off from Curtis Samuel.

What’s Next in Free Agency?

There are several position groups that seem set in Washington.

For example, I would be majorly surprised if Washington were still looking for any help along the DL, both interior and from the edge.

The LB core has been totally updated in just one off-season/draft (Fifth rounder Jordan Magee is super intriguing) and I doubt help is needed there. The QB room is also likely set with a trio of Daniels, Marcus Mariota and one of Jeff Driskel, Jake Fromm, or Sam Hartman.

Washington should aim to sign a quality veteran free agent or two and follow the one-year deal path that they have already demonstrated with the pick-ups of Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, and Jeremy Chinn for example.

I would be looking at two positional groups that could benefit with an injection of legitimate high-calibre quality: Cornerback and Wide Receiver.

With enough salary cap to match any offers, I would be talking to the agent of CB Xavien Howard for a one-year deal at around the $10m price.

At WR, I would take a flier on former Saint Michael Thomas with a deal offered around $4m for a single season in D.C.