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University of Arkansas quarterback Taylon Green.
The Washington Commanders are rolling out Marcus Mariota as their backup quarterback again in 2026 — an increasingly dicey move with starter Jayden Daniels showing he’s fairly injury-prone over his 1st 2 seasons.
Mariota can’t be the long-term solution at backup quarterback, which is why ESPN’s Matt Miller predicts the Commanders will draft 6-foot-6, 224-pound University of Arkansas quarterback Taylon Green.
Miller has the Commanders slotted to take Green in the 5th round (No. 147 overall) in a 7-round mock draft released Monday morning.
“A long, rangy, dual-threat quarterback with upside, Green’s ability to generate explosive plays as a runner and passer helped keep his offense afloat,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “In-game consistency has been a sticking point, though. He has a long, unorthodox delivery and tends to baby too many throws. He can generate enough velocity and distance to stress defenses over the second and third levels. Green puts the ball in harm’s way at an alarming rate, which will translate to greater trouble against more talented defenders and more complicated coverage reads. His ability to win with his legs on called runs or pocket breaks pushes his value beyond his passing profile. Green’s upside will be tantalizing but his ceiling will only track with his growth as a passer.”
Green Transferred From MWC Powerhouse
Green is a Lewisville, Texas, native who started his college career with 3 seasons at Boise State, where he redshirted in 2021, was MWC Freshman of the Year in 2022, and MWC Championship Game MVP in 2023.
He transferred to the Power Four to play for Arkansas, where he threw for 5,868 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions to go with 1,379 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns over the last 2 seasons.
It’s impossible to deny Green’s offensive impact in college — at both schools — with a staggering 12,067 yards of total offense and 94 total touchdowns in 4 seasons as a starter.
“Taylen Green is a raw, toolsy dual-threat quarterback with a high ceiling, thanks to his outstanding arm talent and athleticism, but he needs significant development,” Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “A creative NFL play-caller would be wise to feature some designed QB runs in the offensive game plan with Green in the lineup. He already has experience with QB counter, power, veer, and zone reads. More room to grow can be found as a decision-maker and limiting his “hero ball” tendencies. But Green’s stature and physical abilities are worth dedicating the time to develop.”
Commanders Keep Striking Out in NFL Draft
Outside of Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Commanders have been big whiffers in the 1st 2 drafts under head coach Dan Quinn and Adam Peters — a big reason why they went from 12-5 in 2024 to 5-12 in 2025.
Out of the Commanders’ 14 picks over the last 2 seasons, to this point, only Daniels seems like he’s on track to become an impact player in the long term.
You can make an argument that Daniels is not only the only impact player out of that class, but he’s the only 1 who has even shown he’s going to be a long-term, competent starter after a massive 2nd season drop-off in play for cornerback Mike Sainristil, who flashed some potential as a rookie.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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