Commander Country

What's Biggest Need for Commanders After NFL Draft?

The Washington Commanders still need to figure out the most important position in sports.

Tim Kelly

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Out of the four teams in the NFC East, three of them won a playoff game. And three out of four teams in the NFC East have quarterbacks that they drafted and since have signed to long-term contracts. The Washington Commanders are the exception, in both cases. 

So naturally, Sports Illustrated says that quarterback -- and inside linebacker, to a lesser extent -- remains the biggest need for the Commanders after the NFL Draft. 

Sam Howell will enter training camp as QB1, with veteran Jacoby Brissett also in the mix. Howell had some impressive moments in a 26-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 of the 2022 season, but it was his lone start in his rookie season. We're not saying that Howell can't develop into the long-term starting quarterback for Washington, but if the franchise is so bullish on him, it's a bit peculiar that they didn't start him over Carson Wentz or Taylor Heinicke sooner. 

From an organization standpoint, Washington is in a pretty good place in that sense that either Howell will click in 2023, or the Commanders will have a high pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr. headline what's expected to be a strong class of quarterbacks. 

However, head coach Ron Rivera and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy don't necessarily have the luxury of hoping to get a high pick in 2024. A new ownership group led by Joshua Harris will soon take over control of the Commanders. They didn't hire Rivera or Bieniemy, so if things go south in 2023, it's entirely possible the coaching staff is overhauled. So the best-case scenario for Rivera and his staff in 2024 would be for Howell to have a breakout season, cementing his status as the team's quarterback for the foreseeable future. 

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Tim Kelly
TIM KELLY

Tim Kelly is a contributor to SI's team sites. Additionally, Kelly covers the Philadelphia Phillies as the Editorial Director for PhilliesNation.com. Previously, Kelly has been a producer at SportsRadio 94 WIP and a content producer for Audacy Sports, with written content syndicated to WIP, WFAN, WEEI and some of the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Kelly also has previously written for SportsTalkPhilly.com and Section 215, FanSided's Philadelphia affiliate. Kelly is a 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in political science. 

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