Washington Commanders Three Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Franchise-Altering Draft

After seven consecutive losses, the Washington Commanders now find themselves one loss away from landing a prized top-two selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are both viewed as blue-chip caliber quarterback prospects, so the chance to land one of them could be franchise-altering.

It's apparent that Washington needs to fill on both sides of the ball as both their offense (25th) and defense (31st) rank near the bottom of the league in EPA per play. On the offensive side of the ball, this is a unit that has some good pieces in place at wide receiver with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson if the Commanders can find the right guy at quarterback.

After trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat the defense is a unit with needs all over the place. With cornerback Kendall Fuller and safety Kamren Curl being free agents this offseason just about every position group is on the table for them.

Luckily for Commanders fans, Washington has built a good amount of draft capital in the 2024 NFL Draft as they netted extra second and third-round picks with the Young and Sweat trades. Without further ado, let's get started with the second overall pick.

Round 1, Pick 2: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

If Washington does land the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft they are very likely to invest in their quarterback of the future. In this scenario, the Commanders come away with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye has a very bright future in the NFL as he checks all of the boxes you want out of a franchise quarterback. He has a good ability to deliver a wide variety of throws with good accuracy as he can make lob passes requiring touch and tight window or across field throws that require the elite arm strength and velocity that he brings to the table.

Maye is also a very good playmaker who can create plays outside of structure. His athleticism at his size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) allows him to make tacklers miss in space as a designed runner or scrambler. That combined with his arm talent allows him to make incredible throws on the run.

Round 2, Pick 36: Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama

Alabama is loaded with defensive talent as they have multiple first and second picks. Amongst those is Chris Braswell who emerged this season as a potential first-round pick.

Braswell led the Crimson Tide with 56 pressures this season as his blend of quickness, bend, and hand usage gives offensive tackles too much to deal with. Edge rusher is the Commanders' biggest need outside of quarterback, so landing Braswell after getting Maye in the first round would be a dream scenario for them.

Round 2, Pick 41: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M

Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has flown up draft boards this season. Cooper was a consensus All-American this year displaying a very complete skillset. The biggest selling point to his game is his speed which is amongst the very best of any linebacker in this draft class. This speed allows him to be very effective defending sideline-to-sideline against the run as well as close very quickly on quarterbacks as a blitzer.

Round 3, Pick 67: Christian Haynes, G, Uconn

The Commanders have allowed 61 sacks through 16 games this season which is the fifth worst in the NFL. However, with an upgrade at quarterback and an addition or two in the draft the offensive line can be a solid unit next year.

Christian Haynes is one of the top options at the interior offensive line. Haynes brings a ton of experience to the table as he was a four-year starter at Uconn. He is very proven as a pass protector as he's allowed just 10 pressures in 25 games over the last two seasons.

Round 3: Pick 100: Michael Hall Jr., DT, Ohio State

While defensive tackle isn't a need for the Commanders with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne still on the roster they could still use more depth at the position. Ohio State's Michael Hall Jr. recently declared for this year's draft as one of the top pass-rushing defensive tackles in this class. Hall's explosiveness, quickness, and hand usage make him excellent value in the third round for the Commanders in this scenario to round out this mock draft.