Before we get into anything else in his conversation with Kevin Sheehan, there is one thing Merril Hoge wants fans to understand: "The National Football League is a completely different game than the college game. The field changes, the defenses change, the offenses change. Everything changes... and that's why so many kids struggle and it doesn't matter what the position is, especially quarterback."
In the last several years, Hoge said two players who made the transition were ones he considered special: Joe Burrow and CJ Stroud. And to him, special is about how you play in the pocket.
For Hoge there are two main aspects a quarterback must have: Accuracy and processing, meaning the ability to process, throw with anticipation and function within the pocket with pocket awareness. "If you don't have a sampling of that or you're struggling in that area, it's only going to get magnified in the NFL and you're gonna erode and erode fast," he said.
Of the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, nobody has since stood out like Burrow or Stroud did.
For the Washington Commanders at No. 2, Hoge said taking UNC quarterback Drake Maye is "how you do get fired" as an NFL evaluator and trying to "fix" all of the issues with the Tar Heel quarterback, especially when it comes to his accuracy issues. And the best thing for Maye would be for him to fall to the second round and give him time to work on his defaults so he doesn't erode mentally, Hoge said.
So, Washington at No. 2, needs a quarterback, who do they take? Hoge has a first-round grade on Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, but with concerns and challenges about both.
With Daniels, Hoge said he is the guy that "he has the best feel that has a chance to really transition in this league with not as many issues."
If it is between Maye and Daniels at No. 2, Hoge tells Sheehan, "It's simple: I rush up with Daniels' card. Not even a question. Not even a question, I would not blink at doing that. I would get him up there ASAP over Maye."
Listen to the full conversation from the Kevin Sheehan Show on all of the draft's quarterbacks, last year's QBs, and Commanders quarterback Sam Howell on the audio player above!
