How does the Washington Commanders' offense fare against the rest of the NFC East?
By Hunter Noll
NFC East Quarterbacks
As mentioned earlier, the Washington Commanders found a new franchise quarterback this offseason. With the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Washington selected Jayden Daniels.
Earlier in the offseason, they also brought in veteran Marcus Mariota to serve as a backup (ironically, a former second-overall pick).
This should be an upgrade over their situation last season. Mariota's swapping with Jacoby Brissett as the veteran mentor. And while Sam Howell has shown plenty of potential, the decision-making and some throws were baffling. Daniels is a clear upgrade.
Jeff Driskel and Jake Fromm are on the roster but likely won't factor in. Meanwhile, Sam Hartman was an undrafted free agent signing that adds phenomenal looks to the group.
How does this group compare to the rest of the NFC East?
I'll be honest, there are two teams here that you don't even need to dig deep on. The Dallas Cowboys have Dak Prescott, and the Philadelphia Eagles have Jalen Hurts. That immediately puts them as numbers one and two in the division.
Jayden Daniels could very well be elite, but being unproven, it makes no sense to put him over either of those two QBs.
The only real competition is between the Commanders and the New York Giants.
New York has Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito. That's not a group that inspires a lot of excitement or optimism.
Lock and Mariota are both veterans who you could trust to win you some games but don't want as a full-time starter. So, let's just look at Daniels and Jones.
Jones showed promise early in his career but has failed to improve. The offense often stalls, and he hasn't thrown more than 15 touchdowns since 2019 (his rookie season). He threw two touchdown passes compared to six interceptions in six games last season.
Jayden Daniels is unproven but expected to do great things. Daniel Jones was already not winning over a lot of New York fans, and he's coming off a torn ACL. Daniels and Washington win this round.
NFC East QB rankings:
- Dallas Cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- New York Giants