The Washington Commanders are back in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season.
Washington will face its divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday (3 p.m. ET on Fox). The matchup is an accelerated culmination of a rebuild that left the Commanders with the No. 2 pick in last year's draft.
That pick resulted in quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is the sixth rookie quarterback to start in a conference championship game -- none of whom have advanced to play in the Super Bowl. Daniels is also the fifth top-two draft pick to start in a conference championship as a rookie since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
Daniels is at the forefront of Washington's remarkable turnaround. The Commanders are the fifth team since the merger to have a bottom-two record and feature in a conference championship game in the ensuing season.
Here's a look at how those other teams fared.
San Francisco 49ers, 2019
Season result: Loss in Super Bowl LIV
Draft pick: No. 2, Nick Bosa
San Francisco finished the 2018 season with a 4-12 record, good enough to select defensive end Nick Bosa with the No. 2 pick. The pick paid immediate dividends as Bosa recorded nine sacks and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
With Jimmy Garoppolo under center, the 49ers started 8-0 en route to a 13-3 regular season and the NFC's No. 1 seed. After defeating the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, a date with the Kansas City Chiefs awaited.
San Francisco held a 20-10 lead going into the final quarter, but squandered it as Kansas City scored three late touchdowns for its first Super Bowl victory since 1970.
New Orleans Saints, 2006
Season result: Loss in NFC Championship Game
Draft pick: No. 2, Reggie Bush
A 3-13 season landed the Saints the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft, where they selected Heisman-winning running back Reggie Bush. That move was part of a busy offseason that included hiring Sean Payton as head coach and signing quarterback Drew Brees.
New Orleans immediately improved after its previous campaign, beginning the season 3-0. Bush slotted in as the No. 2 running back as the Saints won the NFC South with a 10-6 record.
They defeated the Eagles in the divisional round. Then, with a shot at Super Bowl XLI on the line, New Orleans fell in a 16-0 hole to the Chicago Bears before losing 34-19.
Jacksonville Jaguars, 1996
Season result: Loss in AFC Championship Game
Draft pick: No. 2, Kevin Hardy
In just its second year as a franchise, Jacksonville made a surprise run to the NFL's final four.
The Jaguars' top pick, linebacker Kevin Hardy, was second in tackles and sacks in the regular season for Jacksonville. He stepped up in the postseason with a league-high 20 solo tackles.
The Jaguars defeated the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round and the Denver Broncos in the divisional round, both by a score of 30-27. Turnovers hindered Jacksonville's chance at a Super Bowl appearance, however. The New England Patriots forced four from the Jaguars, resulting in a 20-6 loss.
Cincinnati Bengals, 1988
Season result: Loss in Super Bowl XXIII
Draft pick: No. 5, Ricky Dixon
Even though Cincinnati finished with a bottom-two record, they weren't the only ones with a 4-11 mark and ended in a four-way tie for second-worst in the league. Due to tiebreakers, the Bengals' losing didn't pay off in draft position, as they selected defensive back Ricky Dixon as the No. 5 pick.
Dixon didn't make a massive statistical impact, but Cincinnati quarterback Boomer Esiason did. He threw for 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns, winning an MVP award with a 12-4 record.
Cincinnati's road to the Super Bowl included victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Bills before facing the 49ers for the title. The Bengals held a 16-13 lead with 3:44 remaining in the game. But Joe Montana led San Francisco on a game-winning touchdown drive with 34 seconds left in the contest, sending Cincinnati home without the Vince Lombardi trophy.
ESPN Research contributed to this story.