Commanders' Taylor Heinicke: Best QB from 2015 NFL Draft?

The ultimate underdog is not only leading the Washington Commanders towards a playoff spot but doing so while others that entered the league at the same time serve as backups around the NFL.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke wasn't one of the seven selected during the 2015 NFL Draft, yet he's the only rookie from that class expected to start this weekend.

Something he wasn't aware of, but said, "It's cool. All the hard work I've been putting in, getting a couple (lucky breaks) here and there...that's something to be proud of."

Luck may or may not have played a role, but Heinicke has certainly put in the work and paid the dues necessary to earn the Commanders' starting quarterback job.

But his career started far from anyone penciling him in as a No. 1 quarterback on any NFL depth chart.

In 2015, two quarterbacks came off the board with the top two picks. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Jameis Winston with the top pick, and the Tennessee Titans took Marcus Mariota with the second. 

73 selections then came and went before another quarterback was taken, and with the 75th pick, Garrett Grayson was selected by the New Orleans Saints. 

Sean Mannion was taken by the St. Louis Rams 14 picks later. 

And in the final three rounds, only Brett Hundley and Trevor Siemian were drafted. 

Hundley by the Green Bay Packers, and Siemian by the Denver Broncos.

None of those teams took a chance on Heinicke. And none of them has the quarterback they spent draft capital to get, on their rosters anymore. 

After those seven, 18 quarterbacks were then signed as undrafted free agents, including Heinicke, who was signed by the Minnesota Vikings.

"I knew I wasn't going to get picked in the first two days," Heinicke recalled entering draft weekend. "I just had a little bit of hope that I might get drafted late in the third day. The team that sparked the most interest was (the Minnesota Vikings), and they were in contact with my agent the whole time and (said), 'We might pick him late in the sixth or seventh.' So I knew at that time when they didn't I was hoping that no one would draft me, because I wanted to go to the best-case scenario. And the best-case scenario was going to Minnesota...so when that draft pick didn't come, getting that phone call from Minnesota was huge for me."

Prior to jumping to the NFL, Heinicke had led the Old Dominion Monarchs to multiple playoff victories and set several school records after becoming a starter during his freshman year.

Still, he was left out of the postseason all-star games where flocks of NFL scouts and personnel executives gather to further evaluate potential talent. 

In fact, almost all of the NFL's talent evaluators didn't even bother showing up to Heinicke's Pro Day.

But Washington's current offensive coordinator, and at the time the Vikings' quarterbacks coach, Scott Turner did.

"He was the only coach that actually went to my Pro Day," Heinicke says of Turner. "So when you have that you want to go play for that guy. 

"I grew up watching Norv (Turner) and those crazy San Diego days when he had a great offense, so I was excited. To see Scott where he was then to where he is now, it's really cool...It's kind of cool for us to grow up together."

That growth has the Commanders on the cusp of a playoff berth with Turner calling the plays and Heinicke executing them. 

Meanwhile, his position peers drafted before him are either out of the league, serving as backups, or on practice squads. 

One never even took an official NFL snap.

But this rise of Heinicke as the last quarterback standing from his rookie class isn't a recent occurrence. 

In the past two seasons, Heinicke has started 22 of a possible 29 regular season contests, winning 12 of them and playing to a tie in one.

During that same stretch, the first two picks in the 2015 NFL Draft - quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota - have started a combined 23 games.

They won 11.

Heinicke says he had some luck along the way, but we'd argue there's more than luck. 

Perhaps it's that unquantifiable amount of heart that Commanders team captain Terry McLaurin once praised in the media. 

Or maybe his sister's couch has a little magic laying under the cushions. 

Whatever it is, as of now Heinicke is the last quarterback starting from his rookie class. 

And that's pretty "cool."

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82 and on the Locked On Commanders podcast.

Get your Washington Commanders game tickets from SI Tickets HERE!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the Si.com team page here