Huddle up! With the NFL Draft on Thursday, here are three key questions surrounding the Commanders and the college teams in the state.
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Should the Commanders be all in drafting a quarterback?
For those fans of the Washington Commanders hoping the team can finally land a franchise quarterback, this year’s draft likely won’t be the time.
The Commanders hold the No. 16 pick in Thursday’s first round, so the only way they’ll get one of the draft’s top quarterbacks is if one unexpectedly falls down to them.
Trading up is also not realistic, given the Commanders don’t own much draft capital, with one selection in each of the first five rounds.
Given that this year’s quarterback class doesn’t seem to be as strong as others, maybe seemingly being stuck in the middle rounds isn’t a bad thing.
The Commanders can also address other needs such as offensive line, and maybe be in better position to draft one out of what looks to be a better crop of quarterbacks in 2024 (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Michael Penix, etc.).
So while fans are understandably desperate for the franchise to finally land a quarterback to build around for years, trying to do so this year would seem to be illogical.
What Virginia Tech players have the best chances to be selected?
After no Virginia Tech players were selected before the sixth round in last year’s draft, the Hokies don’t have a plethora of high-ranking prospects this year either. That’s not surprising given the team went 3-8 last year.
But there are a few players who could hear their name called.
Safety Chamarri Conner, linebacker Dax Hollifield and offensive lineman Silas Dzansi could all be drafted in the middle-to-late rounds on Saturday.
What Virginia players have the best chances to be selected?
The draft outlook doesn’t look much better for Virginia, which like rival Virginia Tech, is limited to a few prospects that will likely be taken on Day 3 in the middle-to-late rounds.
Look for cornerback Anthony Johnson and wideout Dontayvion Wicks to eventually hear their names called and earn a shot to be on an NFL roster.