WASHINGTON — As workers at DCity Smokehouse throw together platters of brisket, pulled pork, rib tips and sandwiches called Meaty Palmer and Big Snoop in the kitchen, all eyes are fixed on multiple televisions spaced out across the local barbecue joint.
Some are eating their meals while others text on their phones. At least one person is sitting on a stool, rubbing his face in anticipation.
The smell of savory barbecue sauce is in the air. Auntie haircuts are found at multiple tables. The emcee for the night is updating the small restaurant on the status of Thursday night’s draft.
The Chicago Bears take former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick as expected. Light applause breaks out, seeing as Williams is a Washington product who led Gonzaga College High School to a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship in 2018.
The Washington Commanders, the home team, are up next. Former LSU quarterback and reigning Heisman trophy winner Jayden Daniels has been the consensus No. 2 pick in ESPN’s mock drafts leading into this night, so it’s all but certain he’s the pick. However, former UNC quarterback Drake Maye could also be chosen.
Daniels, who threw for 40 touchdowns and four interceptions last year, looks the part of the next dynamic NFL quarterback. He’s big (6-foot-4), has a strong arm, and his speed has been compared to that of quarterback Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP for the Baltimore Ravens.
For a fan base that has been starved of such a player for more than 10 years, since the drafting of Robert Griffin III in 2012, Daniels could be the guy to finally — finally — make the Washington franchise relevant again. And do it as a Black quarterback. There’s always hyperbole in these situations, but Daniels might finally be that guy.
As NFL commissioner Roger Goodell walks to the podium to announce the Commanders’ pick, everyone in the restaurant comes to a pause.
“Here we go,” one fan yells out, “Jayden to the rescue.”
Daniels is picked.
Patrick Semansky/AP Photo
Washington fans have had a horrible run of luck with draft picks over the years. Receiver Terry McLaurin, selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, was a steal of a pick, but ask them about the bad picks, and they list them easily: Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Chase Young, Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson. “… We drafted Patrick Ramsey,” said Lionel Redd, 44, who is wearing a T-shirt that reads: “Proud to be a Cowboys hater.”
But flip the question, and ask fans about the great draft picks, and it comes back to one name: Griffin.
The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner burst onto the scene in his first game for the Washington Redskins in 2012, completing more than 73% of his passes for 320 yards, two touchdowns and an additional 42 yards on the ground. More was to come the rest of that rookie season, with Griffin dazzling with both his arm and legs with 4,015 total yards and 27 total touchdowns.
The future looked bright for both Griffin and the franchise. That is until Griffin tore his ACL in the playoffs, never regained the superstar play of that first season, and was gone from the team by 2016.
“I just wish he knew how to take care of himself and learn how to slide,” Redd said. “He might’ve had, maybe, a Super Bowl victory.”
For those interviewed for this story, the most important outcome for Thursday’s pick was for the Commanders to draft someone who could contribute right away and be someone who sticks around as the starter for a while. The last Washington quarterback to lead the team in passing yards five seasons in a row was Mark Rypien, from 1989 to 1993.
If Daniels stays on the right track, he’s destined to be the Commanders’ long-term option at the position.
Through five collegiate seasons (three at Arizona State and the final two at LSU) Daniels amassed 12,750 passing yards, 3,307 rushing yards and 123 total touchdowns. His most impressive season was in 2023, throwing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns and rushing for an additional 1,134 yards and 10 scores. And Daniels did this playing mistake-free football, throwing just four interceptions and getting sacked 22 times (down from 43 in 2022).
Daniels has a big arm (a nation-leading 11.7 yards per attempt) and can place the ball about as well as any prospect coming into the league. Daniels isn’t shaken by different defensive coverages or when coordinators decide to blitz him. And as evidenced by the 8.4 yards Daniels averaged on rushes last year, he can take off as well.
Before the Commanders selected Daniels, fans at DCity Smokehouse were asked who they wanted the team to take. Most of them landed on Daniels, lauding him for his speed and, more importantly, passing ability.
“He’s a thrower first,” said Kenny Anyikud, 32, who is from Washington.
Cedric “DJ Mello T” Curtis, a hometown musician who has penned multiple anthems about the Washington franchise (“Let’s Go Redskins,” “Commander Stomp”), points out the big arm and quick release of Daniels, but is concerned about the quarterback’s slimmer frame (Daniels is listed at 210 pounds) holding up in the NFL.
“I personally think Daniels is too light in the ass,” Curtis said, comparing Daniels’ frame to that of Griffin.
Paul Sancya/AP Photo
Aside from Daniels’ abilities on the field, he also represents more to the Washington area. Racism has permeated every crevice of American sports, but the Commanders are in the unfortunate position of being the last NFL team to racially integrate its roster. The first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl was Washington’s Doug Williams in 1987. The team has used three first-round picks on quarterbacks since 2005: Jason Campbell, Griffin and Dwayne Haskins.
Being a Black quarterback in Washington means something. While the rest of the world likely doesn’t think much about Griffin the player anymore (Griffin now works for ESPN as an analyst), his name is still revered here in the district from just one season’s worth of work. For an area that is nearly 45% Black, Washington is unique in its connection to its Black quarterbacks. Williams, for instance, is still a regular at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a prominent Black-owned restaurant in the district.
Melvin Hines, the founder of DCity Smokehouse, another Black-owned spot, has been a Washington fan all his life, dating back to when his father had season tickets to Redskins games. While the years when owner Daniel Snyder owned the team tested Hines’ faith, he still watches every game and is willing to host a draft party for the team’s fans. While winning was the most important factor in who the Commanders chose Thursday night, Hines recognizes the importance of someone who looks like Daniels playing here.
“To see a Black quarterback, that’s inspiring,” Hines said. “To see a Black quarterback thrive, it makes me feel a little better.”
Hines has an 8-year-old son who loves the NBA because he can see the faces of those Black players and identify with them. He wants the same thing from the district’s most popular team.
“It means so much to these youngins,” he said.
Gabriel Olaiya is a friend of Anyikud’s who also grew up in Washington. While Olaiya can list off all the strengths Daniels possesses like he’s writing a scouting report, it means something to him to have a Black quarterback play for his favorite team.
“I’m always going to push for our people,” Olaiya said. “Absolutely.”
Anyikud imagines what a pick like Daniels could do to the fan base. Most Commanders home games, particularly against NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, can sometimes feel like away games by the sheer number of opposing team fans in the stadium. A player like Daniels can change that.
“This is called Chocolate City, so why not?” Anykiud said. “Why not bring Chocolate City back? Put more butts in the seats.”
But the race of the player doesn’t necessarily equal success. In football, it’s all about winning. And for Curtis, the musician, the team’s success takes precedent.
“The only colors I’m involved with, bruh, is burgundy and gold,” he said, referring to the Commanders’ team colors. “And the green on the dollar.”
Ed Zurga/Getty Images
While Daniels’ success depends on whether he becomes the second coming of Jackson rather than Griffin, it’s not entirely up to him. Coaching staff, front offices and team ownership are integral to a player’s development. Until recently, the Commanders have been a mess from top to bottom.
Ron Rivera was fired as coach in early January after going 26-40-1 in four seasons. And that pales compared to the harm that Snyder inflicted on the franchise since becoming majority owner in 1999. Attendance was at the bottom of the league, Snyder was accused of sexual harassment by former employees multiple times, and the franchise was under multiple state and federal investigations. Snyder was also known to meddle in football decisions, including the drafting of Griffin and Haskins. Washington had a 164-220-2 record from 1999 to 2022.
Snyder sold the team to a consortium led by Josh Harris in 2023.
“Now that we have Daniel Snyder gone, no disrespect,” Redd said before catching himself. “well, to hell with him, I’m sorry.”
Redd believes the team is finally in good hands with Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, and new general manager Adam Peters, who won Super Bowls as a scout with the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.
Which means that Daniels actually has a chance to succeed.
“I just definitely want us to show that now that we have new ownership, new management, we’re going to treat him better and we’re going to do things differently than Dan Snyder unfortunately did,” Redd said.
After Daniels is announced as the pick, I ask Hines how he’s feeling. He’s in “we’ll see” territory, as he’s not too familiar with Daniels’ game. Hines notices the energy in the room following the pick — Curtis performs “Commanders Stomp” — and it tells him the team is moving in the right direction.
It’s been a lot of starts and stops for Washington, but one draft pick has the team’s fans optimistic for the first time in a long time. Who knows who Daniels will eventually become? But for the time being, the Commanders are a team worthy of being cheered for.
“Here we go,” Hines said.
