ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders selected Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
The decision to go with Daniels, the AP’s college football player of the year for his stellar season with LSU, was made after Chicago led off by taking Southern California QB Caleb Williams as expected. Washington went with Daniels over North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan national champion J.J. McCarthy.
Daniels had for quite some time been the favourite to be chosen by the Commanders, though buzz over the past week put that in doubt after reports surfaced that he and his agent were not happy with the team hosting four QB prospects at once. Daniels, May, McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. all visited the practice facility and area together, including a group trip to Topgolf.
“Everybody had a great time and it was very beneficial to see everybody in a more relaxed environment,” general manager Adam Peters said last week. “They all got a lot of time individually with their coaches, with us, where they were staggered coming in, too, so it wasn’t like they were sitting in a room together. They all had their own individual time with everybody, so, it worked out really well.”
Well enough to smooth over any issues and make Daniels the centrepiece of the Commanders’ rebuilding process and roster overhaul under Peters and an ownership group led by Josh Harris that has been in charge since August.
“I’m blessed to go wherever I’m called,” Daniels said Wednesday. “Whoever calls my phone, whoever gives the card to the Commissioner that says my name, I’m blessed to go and they’re gonna get my all.”
Short of Williams, a Washington-area native who would have been a no-brainer if the Bears passed on him for some reason, Daniels became the pick after leading the nation in total offence last season with 4,946 yards — 412.2 on average over 12 games. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound do-it-all threat ranked fifth with 3,812 yards passing and with 40 touchdowns trailed just Oregon’s Bo Nix, who played in two extra games. He ran for 10 more.
Daniels, 23, blossomed into a star over two seasons at LSU after transferring in 2022 following three years at Arizona State. He became an increasingly decisive pocket passer as his trust in receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. grew, and he became more adept at buying time by scrambling rather than giving up on plays and taking off running.
It’s unclear if Daniels will play right away, get the chance to compete for the starting job or sit and learn behind veteran Marcus Mariota, who is willing to be a mentor after signing a one-year deal in free agency. Whether it’s Daniels, Mariota or journeyman Jeff Driskel, Washington will have an eighth different Week 1 starting QB in as many seasons after trading Sam Howell to Seattle last month.
Drafted second by Washington 12 years after the organization took Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III out of Baylor in the same spot, the San Bernardino, California, native becomes the face of the Commanders under coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
“I’ve been familiar with Kliff,” Daniels said. “Obviously, his track record with mobile quarterbacks speaks for itself.”
Asked on ESPN after being drafted what the coaching staff can do to get the most from him, Daniels said: “Just believe in me. It’s going to be a grind. We’re going to work. I’m a hard worker, man, so I can’t wait.”
After addressing their most important need with their first selection, the Commanders have eight more in this draft, including five Friday night (Nos. 36 and 40 in the second round, and Nos. 67, 78 and 100 in the third). Peters did not rule out packaging some of those picks to trade back into the first round, a move that could fill a major void at left tackle or elsewhere.