NFL Post-Draft Power Rankings: Commanders 'Going to War' with Sam Howell
The Washington Commanders are doubling down on their commitment to Sam Howell after neglecting to take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. It's a risk, but one that the Commanders feel is worth it because of their belief in Howell.
"As far as the quarterback position goes, we feel very comfortable with the guys we have," head coach Ron Rivera said. "If you think about it, we have a young guy in Sam that coming out at one point was rated very high. We were fortunate, we believe, to get him where we got him. We got Jacoby Brissett coming off in what we believe was one of his better years as a player. It is one of those things that is funny because typically when you get quarterbacks it is when they are coming off a tough time. We feel good about what we did there."
Unfortunately, Rivera's belief in Howell and backup Jacoby Brissett wasn't enough to keep the Commanders afloat in The 33rd Team's post-draft power rankings, pushing the team down from No. 21 to 24.
"Good news: They’re almost rid of Dan Snyder. Everything else pales in comparison," 33rd Team writes. "Bad news: It looks like Ron Rivera is serious about going to war with Sam Howell."
Rivera is serious about going to war with Howell. All offseason long, it has appeared that Howell would get a true opportunity to showcase his skills. The draft was the final hurdle, but ultimately Rivera and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy gave Howell the unofficial stamp of approval.
Washington had several opportunities to take a quarterback in the draft, including selecting Will Levis with the No. 16 pick, but the Commanders have faith in Howell and are ready for him to lead them in battle this season.
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