NFL Post-Draft Power Rankings: Commanders 'Going to War' with Sam Howell

Sam Howell is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders this season after the team didn't take a rookie in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Jeremy Brener | May 2, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are doubling down on their commitment to Sam Howell after neglecting to take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. It's a risk, but one that the Commanders feel is worth it because of their belief in Howell.

"As far as the quarterback position goes, we feel very comfortable with the guys we have," head coach Ron Rivera said. "If you think about it, we have a young guy in Sam that coming out at one point was rated very high. We were fortunate, we believe, to get him where we got him. We got Jacoby Brissett coming off in what we believe was one of his better years as a player. It is one of those things that is funny because typically when you get quarterbacks it is when they are coming off a tough time. We feel good about what we did there."

Unfortunately, Rivera's belief in Howell and backup Jacoby Brissett wasn't enough to keep the Commanders afloat in The 33rd Team's post-draft power rankings, pushing the team down from No. 21 to 24.

"Good news: They’re almost rid of Dan Snyder. Everything else pales in comparison," 33rd Team writes. "Bad news: It looks like Ron Rivera is serious about going to war with Sam Howell."

Rivera is serious about going to war with Howell. All offseason long, it has appeared that Howell would get a true opportunity to showcase his skills. The draft was the final hurdle, but ultimately Rivera and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy gave Howell the unofficial stamp of approval.

Washington had several opportunities to take a quarterback in the draft, including selecting Will Levis with the No. 16 pick, but the Commanders have faith in Howell and are ready for him to lead them in battle this season.

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Published May 2, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.