With the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders draft Jayden Daniels — quarterback out of Louisiana State. Daniels was widely viewed as one of the best quarterbacks in this draft class and a truly can’t-miss prospect. Let’s take a look at what Jayden Daniels brings to the Commanders.
Jayden Daniels NFL Draft Profile 2024
Jayden Daniels
Position: QB
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 210 lbs
Age: 23
College: LSU Tigers
Jayden Daniels Highlights
Jayden Daniels Combine Results
Unfortunately, we did not get to see Jayden Daniels perform at the 2024 NFL Combine. He is considered a lock top-five pick, so there was no pressure for him to participate in any of the drills.
However, we did get to see Daniels perform at LSU’s pro day. Daniels showed off his ability to throw the deep ball while completing passes to Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. He showed great accuracy on the short-intermediate throws as he did during the 2023 season. He did not participate in any athletic testing at his pro day, so we weren’t able to see him run the 40-yard dash- which everyone was eager to see.
Jayden Daniels Scouting Report
Strengths
The playmaking ability of Daniels is what stands out the most when watching him play. He has elite-level speed for a QB, which is similar to what we saw out of Lamar Jackson coming out of college. He is a more refined thrower than what Jackson was, which shows the untapped potential that Daniels has. Defenses will have to respect his ability to run the zone-read concept, which will open up all sorts of opportunities for Daniels to have success through the air.
He does a great job at throwing receivers open with anticipation. He has elite deep ball accuracy, showing the ability to consistently drop it in the bucket.
Weaknesses
The obvious one here is his smaller frame and size. His size has led to concerns regarding his durability. If Daniels is selected behind Drake Maye, this would most likely be the reason why. He tends to look to exit the pocket when things break down. He will have to do a better job at sitting in the pocket and going through all of his progressions.
What to Expect From Jayden Daniels in 2024
The Washington Commanders get a chance to reset their entire roster, starting with the Heisman winner and best player in college football last season. What jumps out about Daniels is his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs. Not to the level of Lamar Jackson, but maybe on pace with Robert Griffin III, Daniels number one threat in the NFL is going to be his running ability. As it goes with many rookie quarterbacks, once the easy throw is taken away, running becomes the next instinct. Luckily for Daniels is once that first read is shut down, he has a strong receiving weapon in Austin Ekeler to make plays for him. At this point, given his running talent and if he can avoid injury, challenging Caleb Williams for the Rookie of the Year this season is not out of the realm of possibilities by any means.
