Washington Commanders 2024 NFL Draft Guide: What you need to know

Attention all Commanders supporters! Prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft with unique team insights and analysis.

Below, you will find information about Washington’s projected picks, positional needs, selection history, GM draft notes, and more, all of which have been provided by the NFL’s research team.

And don’t forget to tune in on Thursday, April 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET for live coverage of the draft on NFL Network and NFL+.

Washington Commanders Draft Overview

2023 record: 4-13
Fourth in NFC East; missed playoffs

Commanders 2024 draft picks (9):

Round 1, pick 2
Round 2, pick 36
Round 2, pick 40 (acquired from Chicago Bears in Montez Sweat trade)
Round 3, pick 67
Round 3, pick 78 (acquired from Seattle Seahawks in Sam Howell trade)
Round 3, pick 100 (compensatory pick)
Round 5, pick 139
Round 5, pick 152 (acquired from Seattle Seahawks in Sam Howell trade)
Round 7, pick 222

Commanders team needs (according to Chad Reuter): Quarterback, Offensive Tackle, Edge, Cornerback, Wide Receiver

Projected Commanders first-round selection, via NFL.com draft analysts:

(See all projections at Mock Draft Central)

Commanders 2024 Opponents

Home

Bears, Browns, Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Panthers, Steelers, Titans

Away

Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens, Buccaneers, Saints, Eagles, Giants, Cowboys

Commanders Notable Activity Tracker (2024 offseason):

Commanders Decision Makers

Manager Partner: Josh Harris

General Manager: Adam Peters

Martin Mayhew: Senior Personnel Executive/Advisor to the General Manager

Head Coach: Dan Quinn

Adam Peters

Peters is beginning his inaugural season as the General Manager of the Commanders.

– SF Assistant GM from 2021-2023

Vice President of Player Personnel for SF from 2017-2020

From 2014-2016, served as the Director/Assistant Director of College Scouting for DEN, during which time DEN won Super Bowl 50 in 2015.

– DEN Scout from 2009-2013

From 2003 to 2008, I was a scout for the New England Patriots, during which time the team won two Super Bowl titles (Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX).

Martin Mayhew served as the General Manager for WAS from 2021-23. He currently holds the position of Senior Personnel Executive/Advisor to the General Manager for WAS.

Under Mayhew’s tenure as GM, WAS had a win-loss record of 19-31-1, which was tied for the sixth worst record in the NFL from 2021 to 2023.

Ron Rivera was fired by WAS after the 2023 season, having served as Head Coach from 2020-2023.

Since 1999, there have now been 10 individuals who have served as the GM or de-facto GM of Washington.

Nine out of the ten were under the ownership of Dan Snyder.

The Commanders have appointed Dan Quinn, who served as the DC for DAL from 2021 to 2023, as their new head coach.

From 2021-23, the Dallas Cowboys (DAL) permitted an average of 19.9 points per game (ranking 5th in the NFL) and achieved the most takeaways with a total of 93.

Quinn served as the Head Coach (HC) of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020.

Quinn had a 43-42 record as the Head Coach of the Falcons and guided Atlanta to the Super Bowl in 2016.

The Commanders have failed to reach the playoffs in seven out of the past eight seasons.

Despite finishing with a 7-9 win-loss record, they won the NFC East in 2020 but were defeated by Tampa Bay with a score of 31-23 in the Wild Card Round.

Over the last two seasons, the Commanders have had three different quarterbacks start in more than seven games each.

None of these three quarterbacks, Sam Howell with 18 starts and 5-13 win-loss ratio, Taylor Heinicke with 9 starts and a 5-3-1 win-loss ratio, and Carson Wentz with 7 starts and a 2-5 win-loss ratio, are still on the team.

In March 2024, the Commanders traded their starting quarterback, Sam Howell, who was a 5th round pick in 2022, to SEA.

– Sent: Howell, 2024 4th Rd (#102) & 2024 6th Rd (#179)

– Received: 2024 3rd Rd (#78) & 2024 5th Rd (#152)

Marcus Mariota is presently the first-string quarterback for the Commanders, according to their depth chart. The only other quarterbacks on the current roster are Jeff Driskel and Jake Fromm.

In the 2024 Free Agency, Mariota signed a contract with WAS for 1-year, worth $6.0M.

Mariota only started 13 times in the past four seasons, having a 5-8 win-loss record with Atlanta in 2022.

In the last five drafts, the Commanders have selected every offensive/defensive position with a top-70 overall pick, excluding interior OL & TE.

Highest drafted Commanders player by position, past five drafts

Last time Commanders picked each position in first round:

Compiled by the NFL Research team. All data current as of April 16, 2024.