The 2024 NFL draft is less than a month away and one of the highly-touted names is quarterback Jayden Daniels. The LSU football star, who recently won the Heisman Trophy, is expected to be a top-three pick. It seems like he might just end up with the Washington Commanders, based on Brian Kelly's recent comments.
The LSU head coach was interviewed during the QB's Pro Day and whether or not it was intentional, Kelly just hinted that Daniels would be starring in Commanders Field next season.
“He (Daniels) is going to be so committed to taking care of himself that you don't have to worry about size or (that) he doesn't weigh enough,” Kelly said, per Covers. “Lamar's (Lamar Jackson has) done a pretty good job with his size. I think (Patrick) Mahomes, I wouldn't consider him a giant. Cause he's (Daniels is) gonna get the ball out to the playmakers and make plays for Washington.”
Brian Kelly: “Jayden Daniels is gonna get the ball out to his playmakers and make plays… for Washington."
Daniels is -130 to be drafted 2nd overall at @DKSportsbook 👀pic.twitter.com/yeH4L9uYLl
— Covers (@Covers) March 28, 2024
The questions on size stem from Daniels' frame. In the height department, LSU's star towers at 6-foot-4. However, he began his collegiate career at Arizona State weighing 175 pounds. He may have bulked up to 210 pounds (his current listed weight) but concerns continue to linger on whether or not Daniels can absorb hits at the NFL level.
Jayden Daniels' Heisman year
Nevertheless, as Kelly stated, other well-known quarterbacks in the league are playing at the highest level despite their lack of size. There are ways to bypass an issue such as this and Daniels' play in the amateurs is a strong indicator that he could do just that. In 2023, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns on a 72.2% completion percentage and a 208.0 passer rating.
While one can argue that other top amateur QBs also totaled similar yardage numbers, what possibly separates Daniels from the rest of the field is his rushing game. The LSU standout also ran 1,134 yards and tallied 10 touchdowns in 135 attempts last year. In other words, Daniels had a 50-touchdown season in 2023.
To add to his impressive statistics, Daniels broke records as well. Back against Florida football in November, the 23-year-old became the first FBS quarterback to record 350+ passing yards and 200+ rushing yards in a single game, per USA Today's Eric Olson. That same game also made Daniels the first FBS player to amass career totals of 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
LSU football in recent years
Daniels' quarterback play propelled LSU to a 10-3 overall (6-2 in-conference) record for a third-place SEC finish last year. Their three losses may have caused the team to miss the College Football Playoff, but they at least finished the season on a high note with a win over Wisconsin football in the Reliaquest Bowl.
Regardless of another missed CFP appearance, Brian Kelly and Jayden Daniels have turned the program around in the past two years. Both coach and quarterback entered LSU football in 2022, when the team was coming off a previous-year record of 6-7 (3-5) and was reeling from the departure of longtime coach Ed Orgeron.
Kelly and Daniels put LSU back in the winning column, finishing the 2022 season with a 10-4 record. Last year's 10-3 standing was a slight improvement, and Kelly surely looks to see even better results this 2024.
For that to take place, however, Kelly needs to make sure that Garrett Nussmeier steps up to the plate while LSU awaits the services of number-one overall prospect Bryce Underwood in 2025.
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