New era of D.C. sports beginning to take form

The Nationals' selection of outfielder Dylan Crews, the Commanders' pick of LSU QB Jayden Daniels and the to-be-determined Wizards pick seem to mirror another era in D.C. sports — that being the early 2010s when face-of-the-franchise prospects Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, John Wall, Bradley Beal and Robert Griffin III all emerged onto the scene in the nation's capital in quick succession. Strasburg, Harper, and Wall were all top overall picks, as was the already-established Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin.

At the time, Washington's MLB, NBA and NFL franchises were all near the bottom of the standings. The Nats built a core that regularly competed in the postseason throughout the 2010s, eventually winning the 2019 World Series with Strasburg as series MVP. The Wizards saw Wall and Beal blossom into multi-time All-Stars while winning three playoff series together. Griffin was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 2012 while leading his squad to an NFC East title, but he never fully recovered from tearing his ACL that year during the Wild Card playoff game.

Crews and Daniels' impacts on their respective teams remain to be determined, as does that of the NBA Draft prospect who will be joining them on June 26. Meanwhile the Capitals boast a number of young prospects currently competing for team leader status in the impending post-Ovechkin world, and perhaps 2023's No. 8 overall pick Ryan Leonard — who has turned heads at Boston College — will be the one to complete Washington's foursome of the future.

It will still take time for these teams to build themselves into contenders, but at the very least, the concrete image of what fans around the DMV can look forward to is becoming clearer. One by one, Washington's stash of high draft picks is being turned into human beings with names and faces — faces that could define the next generation of D.C. sports.