Kevin Sheehan: Are there benefits to Commanders trading down from No. 2?

The Washington Commanders getting a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25 seems like a foregone conclusion. The most likely scenario is that Adam Peters makes his first pick of a quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection. But is there any possibility the Commanders decide to trade down rather than stay put?

ESPN's Bill Barnwell took a look at all 32 picks in the draft's opening round and came up with his suggestion for what each team should do: Trade up, stay put, or trade down.

But while trading the pick could be a "tantalizing option," Barnwell believes that the team should stick at No. 2 and select a quarterback.

Kevin Sheehan relayed part of what Barnwell saw as a counterargument: "Trading this pick would undoubtedly net the franchise multiple first-rounders in the years to come, possibly from a team that might still be far away from contending, like the Raiders or Broncos."

Part of the reason Barnwell argues is that tanking isn't as effective in the NFL as it is in the "Trust the Process" Philadelphia 76ers. Here's more of Barnwell: "The Commanders would project to generate more surplus value by drafting a quarterback at No. 2 than they would by landing two other picks in the top 10 and using them on non-quarterbacks."

Sheehan said that there are many Washington out there who believe "you can not win without a great offensive line" and that trading back is the best option becuase if you don't build out the line, there is no chance.

Others believe "they have so many holes on the roster it does not matter about quarterback until they fill the rest of those holes."

"And I would just push back," Sheehan said, "And the hardest thing to find is a franchise quarterback. And most of them are found very high in the NFL Draft. And you have a chance, at No. 2 in the NFL Draft, in a year in which there are multiple quarterbacks that appear to be worthy of Top 2 or Top 5 picks. Too often we have seen teams, Pittsburgh would be the latest example, the Houston Texans were an example for several years before Deshaun Watson was drafted, the New York Jets would be another recent example of rosters that are built and are ready to win, but don't have the quarterback."

The teams that don't either to mediocrity or worse.

Listen to the full take from the Kevin Sheehan Show on the audio player above!