NFL Mock Draft: Commanders Take Justin Herbert & Josh Allen Hybrid?

The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft, and a new quarterback is selected, ushering in a new era in the nation's capital.
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Most of the NFL world knows which position the Washington Commanders will be targeting with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but exactly which player remains a mystery.

Needing a quarterback after Sam Howell didn't exactly set the world on fire in his first season as the team's starter, the Commanders have their choice of a draft littered with talented quarterbacks.

The hire of Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, who was USC's senior offensive analyst has many thinking that Caleb Williams, a D.C. native is on the radar. But in CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli's latest mock draft, Washington takes a quarterback, but not the one many think.

"It was awkward when Maye and Sam Howell showed up to watch the North Carolina-Duke game together, wasn't it? Anyway, I like Maye a lot," Fornelli writes. "He has Justin Herbert's build with Josh Allen's aggressiveness downfield. He's also an intelligent runner when it's time to eject from the pocket. However, while he fires lasers across the field, most of North Carolina's offense is built around deep throws. Maye needs to improve accuracy and touch on some of the shorter timing routes. All that said, he and Williams are on a tier far above any other QB in this class on my board."

Caleb Williams Drake Maye Michael Penix
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Maye is the very definition of a dual-threat quarterback and looking at his stats from North Carolina, they make for good reading.

In three seasons, Maye threw for 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns, and just 16 interceptions while he also rushed for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns. That'll do.

Maye possesses great athletic ability along with his speed, making him a tough assignment to gameplan for. Given his arm strength, Maye can make every throw on the field, so if a team bottles up his rushing ability, he can still torch the secondary from the pocket.

NFL Draft: QB 'Has to be The Pick' For Commanders

Conversely, if a defense drops back into coverage, Maye can be a designed runner and pick up crucial yards with his legs.

So while Caleb Williams seems like the obvious choice given Kingsbury's hire, don't discount Maye becoming the face of the franchise as he helps usher in a new era in Washington.


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