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Who will be D.C.’s next QB?

Fred Jeter | 4/25/2024, 6 p.m.
Watch your step. Few revolving doors have spun as fast as the door leading to the Washington Commanders’ quarterback room.

Watch your step.

Few revolving doors have spun as fast as the door leading to the Washington Commanders’ quarterback room.

Since 2018, the NFL’s D.C. franchise has employed 12 different starters, most recently Sam Howell in 2023. Howell has since been traded to Seattle.

Which brings us to 2024 and “the next” starter in the Burgundy & Gold …

That will almost certainly be decided Thursday, April 25, with the second pick in the NFL draft from Detroit.

After Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams is named first overall by the Chicago Bears, Washington is highly likely to select one of these three QBs with pick No. 2.

Here are the tantalizing options:

Jayden Daniels (LSU): 6-foot-4, 210 pounds; won Heisman Trophy on strength of 3,812 yards passing with 40 touchdowns, and 1,134 yards rushing with 10 TDs. LSU went 10-3 overall, defeating Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Drake Maye (North Carolina): 6-foot-4, 230 pounds; the 2022 ACC player of year, he passed for 3,608 yards and 24 TDs in 2023 with 449 rushing yards and nine TDs. UNC went 8-5, losing five of its last seven, including a setback to West Virginia in the Mayo Bowl.

J.J. McCarthy (Michigan): 6-foot-2½, 219 pounds; completed 72 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards and 21 TDs; ran for 202 yards and three TDs. Led Michigan to the national championship with a win over the University of Washington and posted a 27-1 winning percentage in Ann Arbor.

Washington hasn’t enjoyed much QB continuity since Kirk Cousins started all 16 games in the 2015-2017 seasons.

This year’s selection is likely to be Washington’s fourth, first round QB pick this century, following Patrick Ramsey in 2002; Jason Campbell in ’05; Robert Griffin in ’12; and Dwayne Haskins in ’19.