The Washington Commanders made the right choice when they selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, however, that doesn’t mean they didn’t seriously consider a controversial choice with their top pick.
Heading into last month’s draft there was a huge amount of speculation about what the Commanders would do with their selection in Round 1. The obvious goal was to draft a quarterback who could become the future face of their franchise, however, it wasn’t clear who that player would be.
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Many draft evaluators believed LSU star and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels was the second-best QB in this year’s class, and some even felt he was better than Caleb Williams — the man the Chicago Bears took with the No. 1 pick. However, some issues the week before the event seemed to further the speculation that Washington could surprise and go in a different direction in Round 1.
In the weeks before the 2024 NFL Draft, the stock of Michigan QB JJ McCarthy exploded, and it seems that he made a very positive impression on Commanders brass and was under serious consideration at No. 2 overall.
Washington Commanders did indeed seriously consider taking JJ McCarthy with top pick in NFL Draft
“The two quarterbacks they had in consideration at No. 2 were Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week.
McCarthy ended up going fairly high in Round 1 and was selected at 10th overall by the Minnesota Vikings. However, he was taken after North Carolina star Drake Maye and Washington standout Michael Penix Jr. The new Washington Commanders regime led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn avoided a bunch of controversy by not giving into the hype and taking McCarthy with their pick.
McCarthy was reportedly also the second QB on the New York Giants draft board after Maye.
