Washington Commanders Must Have 'Strong Draft', Says Josh Harris

The Washington Commanders have hit all their free agency goals, and now attention turns to the draft.

Feb 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn (L) poses for a picture / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders knew their plan of action entering the offseason and the first phase has been successful - acquire talented free agents.

No less than 12 players came through the doors as Bobby Wagner, Austin Ekeler, Dorance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti headlined the moves as Dan Quinn went about getting the right pieces for his roster.

With Washington no longer big players in the free agency market, the franchise's attention turns to the draft, where it has the No. 2 overall pick, plus two second round selections to complement its free agency additions.

For owner Josh Harris, having a strong draft is now front of mind for the organization.

“We got the number two pick in the draft, right? So that's obviously a very important pick," Harris said. "And we have many picks in the top 100 and we've done it that way on purpose. So, it's important for us to have a very strong draft for sure.”

Feb 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn (L) poses for a picture / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

With the Commanders having six picks inside the top 100, there are plenty of options the franchise can go with.

Getting the offensive line fortified for its new quarterback could be seen as high on the wish list with the 36th pick in the second round, despite the additions of Allegretti and Biadasz. Sam Howell was sacked 65 times last season (second-most in the league), and if the franchise does select a new quarterback, giving them adequate protection is a must.

Exactly where Washington will go with its second round picks is unknown, but despite a good free agency period, the Commanders know they have to hit on some of their draft picks to make the offseason a complete success.

It starts with their quarterback, which depending on your views, could be either LSU's Jayden Daniels, North Carolina's Drake Maye or even Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, but then pieces must be put around their new star.

This is Harris' first offseason as the Commanders owner, and while it has gotten off to a good start, having a good draft will help bring everything together nicely for the new regime.