The Washington Commanders are making some big changes this year. With Josh Harris’ group as the fresh owners and Dan Quinn as the new head coach, the franchise is approaching the 2024 season with renewed vigor and clear mental space. And their biggest concern with the NFL Draft approaching is their No. 2 pick.

While Jayden Daniels is the highly projected draft pick for the Commanders, Pro Day recently added wild card J.J. McCarthy to the mix. Sam Howell’s trade to the Seattle Seahawks and the signing of Marcus Mariota highlight the importance of the draft pick in this year’s QB-heavy draft. In a recent appearance, Quinn threw some light on what the team is looking for in their new quarterback.

Dan Quinn shares his primary focus in QB evaluation

The former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator was asked about how his evaluation process has “evolved” with experience in the Locked on Commanders Podcast. Special emphasis was placed on the quarterback position, as this will be Quinn’s first season with Washington. The HC said that watching the tapes and talking to the GM, Adam Peters, had an impact on him and divulged his primary focus in evaluation.

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Quinn emphasized that he evaluates the prospective rookie’s presence of mind to make a quick decision when needed. He opined that he not only takes into account the “throwing motion or the accuracy” but also that the player knows when to make important decisions. The player should know how to overcome a poor play, like speeding up in the face of a blitz.

“-how quickly can he speed up when a blitz is coming, how quickly can anticipate when those things happen, so I’ve really been mindful of watching, to say, not just the throwing motion or the accuracy but what happens. Can you get out of a bad play? Can you speed up- and make great decisions still?”

When it comes to the quarterback position, throwing motion and arm strength have been the most talked about metrics. However, the experienced coach has a different opinion.

Quinn says QB evaluation is not just about the throw

Washington‘s new HC brings a lot of new perspectives and fine experiences to the crew. Having led the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2013 and honed Dallas’ defense to be one of the top five in the league, Quinn has been nothing but consistent. When talking about the quarterback position, the coach explained why it requires more nuance and time for evaluation.

Quinn expressed that deep ball accuracy was of great importance, and while he still takes that into account, he’s realized that there are a lot more parameters for the position. Compared to the receiver, which can be evaluated through “targets” and “route running,” a quarterback’s evaluation requires more time and effort. The HC explained that the evaluators have to watch all play videos, not just the throw, to form an apt judgment.

“So it takes a while, honestly, to go through the position because you don’t watch a cut-up like to do a receiver. You can watch the targets first, and that’s an easy way to get going to evaluate that person on route running, but with a quarterback, you really have to watch every single play to say did he get him out of a bad play here in a run game, did he move outside, so it’s not just the throw.”

Quinn joins the team with his ample experience and keen understanding of the game. With the responsibility of bringing a new rookie quarterback to their roster, the HC and the management have been doing the rounds of Pro Days on the lookout for their new draft pick.

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