The 2024 NFL Draft really starts at pick No. 2. The Chicago Bears are going to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1, so the Washington Commanders now hold all the cards. Whether they take LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, or even Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, this pick will determine how the rest of the draft plays out. And the latest intel from ESPN insider extraordinaire Adam Schefter is that the pick seems like it will be Daniels.
“I know we’re not supposed to spoil picks,” Schefter conceded on his podcast. “But, a little over a few weeks out, to me, I think the signs continue to point to Jayden Daniels being the second overall pick at number two. Seems like he’s popular in the scouting community. It seems like he’ll bring a lot of the attributes that the Commanders will like.”
Schefter also admits that he believes that Daniels and the Las Vegas Raiders — where the QB’s former Arizona State assistant coach, Antonio Pierce, now resides — have “a high level of interest in each other, “but there’s one problem: The Commanders have the second pick, and I think Jayden Daniels is going to be someone who really appeals to them.”
If the Commanders do take Daniels No. 2 in the 2024 NFL Draft, the dominoes will start falling from there. At the end of his little draft rant, Schefty also suggests that if the draft board does fall this way, it seems like the New England Patriots would make it one, two, three QB by taking Drake Maye.
What Jayden Daniels will bring to the Commanders?
There is a lot to like about LSU QB Jayden Daniels. The whole college football world knows this which is why he won the Heisman Trophy in 2023.
Last season, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards with a 72.2% completion rate with 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also ran for 1,34 yards and scored 10 more TDs on the ground. The Tigers went 10-3 behind Daniels, with losses to Florida State, Ole Miss, and Alabama.
As an NFL prospect, there is a lot to like about Daniels as well. he is 6-foot-4 and has an excellent arm. He is extremely athletic enough and can get out of the pocket and run, but he’s not just a runner. He has good poise and footwork, plus his decision-making is solid, which is why he only threw 20 INTs in five college seasons with half of those coming in one down year at Arizona State.
Putting together the production, the tools, and the skills, Daniels could be an incredible NFL QB. That said, there are some detractors who do have criticisms of the QB.
One issue is that Daniels is very skinny. He was one of two NFL combine prospects who refused to be weighed, leading to speculation that he is actually under 200 pounds. With his hard-nosed running style, this could make him a major injury risk in the pros.
Also, Daniels didn’t truly break out and shine until his fifth year in college. This is better than never breaking out at all, but how much of his success this season was simply based on having up to four years more experience than many of his opponents?
Commanders fans will find all this out and more soon if Adam Schefter is right.
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