Regardless of which quarterback the Washington Commanders select in the 2024 NFL Draft, he’ll enter with a strong mentor in backup Marcus Mariota.

The Washington Commanders are less than two weeks away from adding their prospective franchise quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

There are several important parties in the success of whoever – North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are the favorites – Washington selects.Of course, it starts with the player and his mental makeup. Then, there’s coaching, from head coach Dan Quinn to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and beyond.

Throw in the surrounding environment – receivers, offensive line, defense and scheme – and the various factors that ultimately culminate in successful quarterback play come together.

But perhaps the most underrated aspect of this path is the backup quarterback, who can serve as a mentor and sounding board with a more interpersonal level than a coach may provide.

For the Commanders, that means weight falls on the shoulders of Marcus Mariota, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2015 but has spent much of the past four years as a backup.