SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: The Washington Commanders select North Carolina QB Drake Maye

The Washington Commanders add their QB of the future at No. 2

The Washington Commanders need a quarterback, and they hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. There are several QBs who are expected to go in the top 10 this year, and Washington is projected to take one of them as they rebuild the franchise under the new ownership group led by Josh Harris, along with GM Adam Peters and HC Dan Quinn.

This year’s SB Nation mock draft opened up with the expected pick, QB Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears. This put the Washington Commanders on the clock with the next group of QBs available to choose from. LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye have been considered 2A and 2B behind Williams, with J.J. McCarthy trying to get into that top 3 discussion.

In this year’s SBN mock draft, the Washington Commanders select QB Drake Maye with the No. 2 overall pick. This was a difficult decision, and one that I’m glad falls on the brain trust led by Adam Peters. There were only two players under consideration for this pick, Maye and Jayden Daniels. Both can be projected as franchise quarterbacks, but they both come with their flaws that kept them behind Caleb Williams in most rankings.

Drake Maye started for the last two seasons at North Carolina and showed all the tools necessary to be a successful NFL QB. He has the size, arm talent, and ability to make all the throws. Maye’s first season as a starter put him into the conversation for the top QBs, and despite a “slump” last season, he remained the No. 2 QB heading into the offseason, despite Jayden Daniels’s Heisman Trophy-winning season.

Maye has a lot of things to clean up in his game, starting with his footwork. The Washington Commanders new offense is led by former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, and has several high-level assistants who will work with Maye as he cleans up his game to play at the next level. Maye is a big, mobile passer who has a higher ceiling than other QBs in this draft.

It was evident from his 2022 and 2023 tapes that he trusted the route concepts and combinations (and his protection) and allowed them to work for him, with the defense and coverage dictating where he would go with the ball. There was never a sense that Maye was hurried or frenetic in the pocket, and he did not break down and look to move unless he was forced to by the pass rush.

Maye showed the arm talent to make outstanding deep throws and to drive the ball with velocity when demanded. He can throw with the pace and touch to make the right throw into zone windows and at intermediate and short levels. What also stood out from Maye’s tape was his athleticism and movement for a man that size.

There are betting odds available for the draft and they will be posted on DraftKings when they go live. Jayden Daniels has been the betting favorite for No. 2 overall, and has been mocked to the Washington Commanders there more than Drake Maye. Those odds continue to shift, and there isn’t a runaway favorite with a little over three weeks to go.

The new Washington Commanders front office hasn’t been giving many clues about their preference, and the speculation has linked them to several quarterbacks as people try to figure out where the draft will go after the top two QBs are off the board.