Washington Gets 'Strong'er in Post-Senior Bowl Mock Draft

Same position, but a new name, thanks to what went down in Mobile

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there may have never been a more clear demonstration of this fact than the mixed reactions following the renaming of the Washington Commanders.

If there were an 'eye of the beholder' award coming out of the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl, it would undoubtedly go to Nevada quarterback Carson Strong. 

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

"At the Senior Bowl, there were some ups and downs from Strong, writes Sports Illustrated's Zack Patraw in his post-Senior Bowl mock draft. "It's evident that he has the NFL-level arm talent. The Commanders need to find a franchise quarterback, and Strong could be just that for them."

In his mock, Strong is the third quarterback off the board at pick 11 following Malik Willis (Liberty) heading to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 while Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) goes No. 9 to the Denver Broncos.

Patraw and I both agree Malik Willis is the biggest quarterback winner from this year's Senior Bowl, and the Falcons are in a good position to take him because they still have Matt Ryan to start while the rookie gets his NFL legs under him.

However, if Washington fails to land a veteran quarterback via trade, and both Willis and Pickett are off the board, I'd prefer a talent at a different position, or even trade back to reset the board.

If we can't make the trade, and don't have an available rookie to start at quarterback, then we can either go with bolstering the weapons around the position with Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, who goes No. 13 in this mock to the Cleveland Browns, or another position. 

While quarterbacks get overdrafted every year, it's the teams that typically stay patient and take the best player available at a position of need that rise up the standings every year. 

Drafting inconsistency in the first round, with an intention of starting the same player, is most likely to only ensure more inconsistency. 

And if there's anything the Washington Commanders don't need, it's more instability, at any level. 

Here's hoping something else comes through at the quarterback position before the team is potentially forced into this corner.