Should Washington Commanders Trade Back for QB in NFL Draft?

The Washington Commanders are expected to take a quarterback in the NFL Draft, but where is the line drawn on who they'll take?

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy warms up before the national championship game at NRG Stadium. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Washington Commanders have a need at quarterback after signing veteran Marcus Mariota to a one-year deal and trading Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks with two years left on his rookie contract.

Most assume the quarterback the Commanders will take is LSU's Jayden Daniels, and that was before the team brought four of its top decision-makers to his Pro Day in Baton Rouge.

Washington general manager Adam Peters has also admitted to being open for trade back conversations, although he seems more inclined to require a massive purchase price and not all too eager to move out of the No. 2 spot in April's NFL Draft.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy warms up before the national championship game at NRG Stadium. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Still, being open to a move back of any kind is interesting given the need and the perception of talent at the top of the class compared to the second tier of quarterback prospects.

With that in mind we asked the question: Where is the line drawn in the quarterback prospect pool? And the answer appears to be Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

While the debates continue in individual circles about which order the quarterbacks that follow USC's Caleb Williams should fall most agree he is the top guy while Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy are two-through-four in some order or another.

After those three comes the third teir of quarterback prospects that are headlined by Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr.

Those two specifically, but also everyone else below them, seem to be beyond the cut line after a source confirmed to Commander Country that the team sent only an area scout to Penix's Pro Day and we have no indication anyone higher up was sent to see Nix during Oregon's.

Couple that information with the fact that many expect the first four quarterbacks to come off the board within the first six picks and it's not likely the Commanders would move back beyond that pick which currently belongs to the New York Giants.

Trading back with an NFC East Division rival so they can then draft a quarterback higher than yours seems like public relations suicide, so we can draw a second line at pick No. 5. That pick currently belongs to the Los Angeles Chargers - though they seem unlikely to move up after coach Jim Harbaugh referred to his pick as potentially being another No. 1 selection if four quarterbacks go ahead of him leaving his team with their pick of every other position player available.

Where there's a line Washington may not cross when drafting quarterbacks, it appears there's then another one that involves any potential trade back.

Both of those seem to intersect at a spot where the Commanders don't trade back, and for better or worse stake their opinion on who the second-best quarterback in this year's class really is.