The Commanders aren't expected to take a quarterback with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after trading for Carson Wentz, but that doesn't mean selecting a young signal-caller is off the table entirely for the franchise.
Washington has "done a lot of research" on Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral leading into this year's draft, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Panthers and Saints are two more teams known to have done their homework on the 23-year-old, and while some coaches in the league have been underwhelmed with Corral's presence in interviews, many covet his quick release and natural throwing ability, per Fowler.
Corral is considered one of the top quarterbacks in this year's draft, but he is not widely projected to come off the board in the first round. If the Commanders are interested in taking a quarterback and have taken a deep look at Corral, they could be eyeing Day 2 of the draft to acquire someone to join Wentz and Taylor Heinicke in their quarterback room.
A two-year starter at Ole Miss, Corral came into his own once head coach Lane Kiffin took over the program in 2020. In his redshirt-sophomore and junior seasons in college, Corral threw for a combined 6,686 yards, 49 touchdowns and 19 interceptions through 23 games. He also ran for over 600 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year with the Rebels.
Washington only has one Day 2 pick as of this writing with the 47th overall pick. They gave up their third-rounder in the Wentz trade, so if they don't want to take a quarterback with a top-50 selection, they'd have to work a trade back into the second or third rounds using future draft capital.
As far as Corral or any Day 2 quarterback's fit on the roster, they'd almost assuredly sit behind Wentz and Heinicke on the depth chart until they're either ready to play or forced to due to an injury to the team's top two options.
It's also worth noting Washington took on all of Wentz's guaranteed money this season when they made the trade with the Colts. This means they could cut ties with Wentz after the 2022 season with no penalty, so if there's a young quarterback on the roster ready to take the next step, that decision would be a little easier for the front office next spring.
The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is set for Thursday night beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock with the first pick.