Hogs Haven
A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general
Whether this class of quarterbacks will be memorable for its greatness or for its great disappointment remains up for debate, and the results won’t be known for several years. But for now, at least, there are reasons to be hopeful.
“Last year I … talked about how the 2024 draft really has a chance to be a special class,” said former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik, now an NFL analyst for SiriusXM. “I still think it does.”
If six quarterbacks are chosen in the opening round, that would match the record set in 1983. The six first-rounders that year included three eventual Hall of Famers in John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. The others were Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason and Ken O’Brien. (The opening round had just 28 picks then, while this year’s will have 32.)
Penix and Nix and not certain first-rounders. But there are enough quarterback-needy teams — even after a flurry of trades and free agent deals this offseason involving high-profile veterans — that it’s not out of the question they could be taken in the opening round.
There never has been a draft in which quarterbacks were taken with the first four picks, according to NFL Research. There have been three drafts in which quarterbacks where chosen with first three selections. It happened in 1971 with Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning and Dan Pastorini. It happened in 1999 with Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith. And it happened in 2021 with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance.
“In talking to coaches and executives around the league,” Jeremiah said last week, “they’re, like, overwhelmingly convinced around the league that this is Jayden Daniels. … [But] I think anybody that says they know exactly what Washington is doing is lying because I don’t think Adam’s saying a word.”
Washington signed three defensive ends in free agency, re-signed a fourth and have two second-year ends also on their roster. The Commanders have shown an interest in drafting an edge rusher as well, possibly in the second or third round. They also have a new owner, general manager and coach — none of whom were around when Washington drafted Toney. All of that made Toney expendable.
Washington drafted Toney, who played at Penn State, in the seventh round in 2021. Toney played in 26 games in two seasons, with one start; he recorded 1.5 sacks and 16 tackles.
