Commanders Unlikely To Consider Trading Down From No. 2 Overall

As Jayden Daniels-Washington buzz persists, the Commanders have not been a team — unlike some others in this year’s top five — closely linked to trading down. Their new front office boss effectively confirmed no such move is likely.

New Washington GM Adam Peters said (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) he does not see many scenarios in which the team would move down from No. 2 overall. While Washington resided at No. 2 overall four years ago, the team’s 2019 Dwayne Haskins selection effectively prevented a Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert move. With the decks cleared at quarterback ahead of this draft, the new regime is widely expected to begin its tenure with a QB move at 2.

The Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers, who round out the top five, have been far more open to moving down from their first-round slots. But the Commanders, who held their QB “30” visits en masse this week, appear set to make their choice just after the Bears — in all likelihood — begin the draft with Caleb Williams.

Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. each visited Washington this week, making for an interesting scheduling effort by the Commanders’ new regime. As for which quarterback the team plans to take at 2, Peters said (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) the team is “real close” to determining its direction.

Since we asked readers to predict which QB the Commanders would select at 2, Daniels — the leader in that early-April poll — looks to have pulled ahead. A report soon after indicated the 2023 Heisman winner is the likely Commanders choice at 2. This would put the Patriots to a decision at 3, and a recent report pegged the AFC East team as having a “healthy debate” between Maye and McCarthy. The Pats have also let it be known they have discussed trading down, joining the Cardinals and Chargers in being open to picking up assets to move off a top-five selection.

If Washington is truly zeroing in on Daniels — a five-year college passer who rocketed up draft boards after a dominant 2023 season — New England’s choice between starting over at quarterback or tabling that decision in order to accumulate assets will become the draft’s pivot point. While it may still be early to lock in Daniels at 2, the ex-LSU and Arizona State passer has been the favorite here for a bit. Washington went QB in this slot 12 years ago, trading two future first-rounders for Robert Griffin III. Not needing to fork over any draft assets to select Daniels (or Maye or McCarthy) at 2, Peters and Co. appear prepared to stay put and address the team’s biggest need.