The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and the consensus is that the franchise will take a quarterback to put an exclamation mark on their offseason work.
But who will Washington take?
Caleb Williams looks for all money to be headed to Chicago, which leaves Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and possibly J.J. McCarthy as the options for Washington.
With so much media coverage around which quarterback the Commanders could take, one could be forgiven for thinking current Washington players might have their ear to the ground regarding the top prospects.
But not receiver Terry McLaurin.
“I haven’t really looked at them too closely,” McLaurin said via the team’s YouTube channel. “I think where we’re at in the draft obviously we’ll get the chance if they choose quarterback, we’ll get one of the elite guys. So just looking forward to whoever they bring in kind of help bringing them along, going into my six year I kind of know the lay of the land and everything and anything that I can do to help them become acclimated and be a part of our team I’m going to try to do that. Obviously I don’t know they don’t ask me [about which QB to select], but my job is when they get here to kind of help bring them along as much as I can because we’ll go as far as the quarterback goes.”
For McLaurin, having a new quarterback is nothing new. He is used to the quarterback carousel that has been constantly changing since he was brought into the organization.
Now, as he enters his sixth NFL season off the back of yet another 1,000+ receiving yard year (fourth straight), he will again have a new quarterback throwing him the football.
But if there’s one thing we know about Terry, it doesn’t matter who throws him the football; he still produces for his team. With all the quarterback changes over the last couple of seasons, McLaurin has been a beacon of consistency.
Four consecutive seasons of 1,000+ yards, 70+ receptions and at least four touchdowns all point to a receiver who can get it done with any quarterback.
Now, he will have one of the top prospects throwing his way. McLaurin made it clear that it is his job to help his new quarterback ease into life as an NFL starter, and in truth, whoever Washington selects couldn’t have a better receiver to throw to.
The Commanders have kept their draft selection close to their chest all offseason. But whoever the franchise selects, McLaurin is ready to help them in any way he can…even if he isn’t paying too much attention to the process right now.
The Washington Commanders are entering a new era – but will be doing so with a key piece of the core from the previous regime.
Despite rumors of a potential trade, the Commanders appear poised to move forward with star receiver Terry McLaurin on the roster.
Here’s the latest from NBC Sports Commanders insider JP Finlay on X, formerly known as Twitter …
“Reached out to sources,” Finlay said. “Rumors about Terry McLaurin being traded aren’t real. ‘Zero truth to him being available.'”
The 28-year-old McLaurin has been a staple of Washington’s offense since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2019, following up a stout rookie season with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
In 2023, McLaurin caught 79 passes for 1,002 yards and four touchdowns while starting all 17 games for the third straight campaign.
For his career, McLaurin has made 378 receptions for 5,283 yards and 25 touchdowns while earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2022.
There had been rumors – largely unsubstantiated – surrounding McLaurin’s future in Washington after a frustrating 2023 season in which he eclipsed 70 receiving yards just once in the final eight games.
With a new coaching staff spearheaded by head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury poised to bring in a new quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, Washington’s offense should look much different in 2024.
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