Dan Snyder's complete mismanagement knew no bounds. The controversial former Washington Commanders owner dragged this franchise from respectability to toxicity over 20 years. Thankfully, the organization's turnaround was immediate once Josh Harris and his wealthy investors wrestled this sleeping giant from his grasp.
Just when you thought the revelations around Snyder's incompetence were a thing of the past, something else seems to come out of the woodwork. That proved to be the case once again with a startling (yet familiarly depressing) revelation from ex-general manager Scot McCloughan.
Dan Snyder stopped Commanders from drafting Stefon Diggs in 2025
This centered on Snyder's meddling in team affairs. In this instance, McCloughan revealed to Kevin Sheehan from The Team 980 that the billionaire tyrant prevented Washington from drafting wide receiver Stefon Diggs in 2015. He was the highest-rated player on the board at the time, but the owner wanted no part of the Maryland graduate for some unknown reason.
"I was told I couldn’t (draft Diggs) by the owner, he was sitting next to me when the scouts told me about him. I wanted Diggs. He was the highest-rated guy on my board at the time."
Scot McCloughan via SI
Washington ended up taking Jamison Crowder instead. While he's been a solid professional throughout a decent career, his accomplishments don't come close to matching what Diggs brought to the table.
Diggs went from a Day 3 afterthought to one of the league's most polished wideouts. His partnership with Adam Thielen on the Minnesota Vikings was incredibly difficult to overcome. With 857 receptions for 10,491 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns, together with four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro selection over his 10-year career, this represents yet another grave error in judgment from Snyder's perspective.
Thankfully, those days are long gone.
An exciting new era in Washington is underway. Harris is forming ambitious plans behind the scenes. He hired experts in their respective fields on the football side of things, and he trusts them fully to get the job done. The early results speak for themselves, and all Snyder can do is look enviously at the way things are unfolding.
There's no guarantee that Diggs would have achieved as much in Washington. This was a toxic environment with no real stability. Dropping so far down the draft pecking order was no doubt disappointing, but he landed in the best possible place. And it's not about where you get drafted.
It's about what you do when you get to the pros.
