was pumped to know Jayden Daniels for the Washington Commanders and 鈥渇ired up鈥� about the rest of the talent coming from the .
There’s good reason for that. While this rookie class won’t immediately transform Washington into a Super Bowl contender, getting a potential franchise quarterback in and filling several holes all over the roster is a good start for the new regime led by Quinn and .
鈥淲e got a lot better,鈥� Peters said Friday night after making a combined five selections in the second and third rounds. 鈥淩eally proud of our process and identifying the right types of guys. Just couldn鈥檛 be happier with the young men that we brought in.鈥�
IT WAS ALWAYS DANIELS
It starts, of course, with Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU who was the in the top 12, a league record. The Commanders didn’t show their hand about Daniels being their guy over North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., though Peters called it nearly unanimous within the front office.
Daniels’ final college season with 4,946 total yards, throwing for 40 touchdowns and running for 10 more was too good to pass up on taking him.
鈥淭here鈥檚 very few people that put together as good a year as he had last year, after already playing in an excellent league,鈥� Quinn said. 鈥淚 think that alone speaks to it. The best of the best, they don鈥檛 ever stop. They just keep finding ways and ways to improve, and he has that trait.鈥�
SURROUNDING DANIELS
The 23-year-old from San Bernardino, California, knows enough about the Commanders’ veteran offensive players from top wideout Terry McLaurin to running back Brian Robinson Jr. But part of the job this draft was replenishing at skill positions around Daniels after and in free agency.
Washington used a second-round pick on Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott and a third on Rice receiver Luke McCaffrey. Taking the brother of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was special for Peters, who got to know the family during his time with San Francisco and loves what he sees on the field.
鈥淔or a guy that鈥檚 almost 6-2, he moves like a guy who鈥檚 maybe 5-10 in terms of his quickness,鈥� Peters said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 tough, he鈥檚 got great hands and he鈥檚 got an incredible mindset, too.鈥�
DEFENSIVE LINE DANCING
Already having 2022 Pro Bowl selections Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen and 2022 second-round pick Phidarian Mathis made defensive tackle a position of strength. But that didn’t stop the Commanders from using their second pick, No. 36, on Illinois’ Jer鈥橺han Newton.
While Payne is just a year removed from , Allen is and has no more guaranteed money left on his deal. Newton could be part of the succession plan.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 dominant,鈥� Newton said. 鈥淢y football IQ is really high compared to other defensive linemen. I have a great pre-snap recognition. I know which plays coming at which down and distance, which formation brings which play, so I just feel like my knowledge on the game is very high compared to other people.鈥�
SECONDARY HELP
The departures of safety Kam Curl and made the secondary an area of concern. Given Quinn’s preference for turnover-forcing defensive backs, Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil (second round) and Washington safety Dominique Hampton (fifth round) could be difference-makers on defense.
Sainristil intercepted Penix to , his sixth last season, and Peters lauded his toughness and intelligence.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine anybody鈥檚 in his class in terms of ball skills on the defensive side of the ball,鈥� Peters said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got incredible ball skills, and that鈥檚 what we look for is speed and ball skills.鈥�
PROTECTING DANIELS
Left tackle is the one void that remains to be filled, unless the coaching staff is content to start the season with as the starter instead of in his previous reserve swing role. Peters made calls to try to trade back into the first round for one of the draft’s top prospects, but a run at the position led the Commanders to wait until the third to take TCU offensive lineman Brandon Coleman.
After playing left tackle and guard in college, Coleman will get the chance to show what he can do but should be seen more as a developmental project.
鈥淚鈥檓 just excited to get a chance and be able to compete at the Commanders and being in the NFL,鈥� he said. “I鈥檓 just really excited to get this chance.鈥�
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