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Should the Washington Commanders look to take a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft after the offseason trade for Carson Wentz? That’s one of the top questions around the NFL since many don’t believe Wentz can turn his career around after trades in back-to-back seasons.
Many believe Washington’s focus shifted after the trade for Wentz. The Commanders went from being desperate at quarterback to having one for 2022. Wentz must earn anything beyond the upcoming season, but he is under contract.
Ideally, Washington will be looking to help Wentz in the draft. That is why most mock drafts have the Commanders taking a wide receiver at No. 11 overall.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid recently conducted a seven-round mock draft. Reid has Washington going wide receiver at No. 11, with USC’s Drake London as the choice.
With Carson Wentz in the picture now, the Commanders would be wise to set him up with as many prime targets as possible. Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel are on the roster, and London is a 6-foot-4 X receiver who complements both of their skill sets.
He is a big, physical target and underrated route runner, and he reminds me a lot of former Clemson wideout Mike Williams, who was taken in Round 1 by the Chargers in 2017.
However, in round two, Reid goes in another direction. The respected draft analyst has North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell landing in Washington at No. 47 overall.
Are you surprised?
The Commanders could look to give themselves a security blanket in case Carson Wentz doesn’t play well. Howell would be a welcome addition to a team searching for a long-term answer under center.
If Howell is available at No. 47, you should strongly consider selecting him. Howell had a record-breaking career at UNC, and despite struggling early in 2021 after losing all of his top skill players, Howell bounced back to have a strong season. He has a big, accurate arm and proved last season that he could make plenty of plays with his legs.
When you’ve lacked an answer at the quarterback position for decades, you attempt to solve the position by investing as many resources as possible. If Wentz succeeds, excellent. You have your quarterback for the foreseeable future. If he doesn’t, then Howell gets an opportunity to prove he’s the guy.
Washington cannot stop putting resources at the quarterback position because it traded for Wentz. Wentz has big-time talent, but he’s far from a sure thing. Would his feelings be hurt? Sure. But who cares. If the Commanders gave him a wide receiver in the first round, he would have a group of wideouts that featured Terry McLaurin, Drake London and Curtis Samuel. He would have no excuses.
Who else did Washington land in Reid’s mock draft?
- No. 113 overall, Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant
- No. 189 overall, Southern Utah offensive tackle Braxton Jones
- No. 230 overall. San Jose State tight end Derrick Deese Jr.
- No. 240 overall, Mercer C/G Jason Poe