“I’m just going in and competing,” said Daniel. “I’m coming in and really trying to play my role, whatever it is. I just want to be the best teammate to help the team win. And we can take some of the winnings back to the DC DMV and enjoy.
To many, Daniels seemed bound for Washington for months until the draft. But no outsider knew Washington’s true intentions until the election was announced in Detroit. In one of his first jobs, general manager Adam Peters plugged the cracks and made sure no one knew about the plan. Even Daniel wasn’t sure where he was headed.
“They really did a pretty good job of not showing their hands too much,” he said. “But the conversations I had, I was confident from our conversations. [that] I was able to come here and join the group of commanders. I’m here now, and I can’t wait to get to work.
Months of closed-door meetings in Ashburn resulted in Daniels and former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy sitting on the commanders’ list and the No. 2 pick. In fact, it was never close. Peters admitted after the draft that the team settled on Daniels “a little while ago” and there was “almost unanimity” in the building.
“He’s special for us in every way – on the field, off the field,” Peters said. “I spoke to him twice and told him what I told you the other day. I haven’t seen a lot of punt returners all season with the 49ers and then here I flashed Jayden for the first time and I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe how good he was.”
Daniels completed 72.2 percent of his passes last season at LSU and posted the highest passer rating in Football Bowl Subdivision history at 208.0. Chiefs executives believed he was the best deep-ball thrower in the draft, and his ability to make throws under pressure or on hits stood out.
“Just the way he runs, the way he can see the field and pass reads, deliver on time, get pressure on the face, hit and third-down passes and move the chains,” Peters said. “We thought he was the best deep ball thrower in the draft. And that’s before you start watching him run.
Among quarterbacks, Daniels rushed for an FBS-high 1,134 yards last season, and in three seasons at Arizona State and two at LSU, Daniels became the only player in FBS history to pass for at least 12,000 yards and rush for at least 3,000.
But those numbers represent more than speed.
“It’s a massacre,” Peters said.
“It takes your soul as a shield,” Peters added. “You think you’ve got him, and then all of a sudden he rips off a 40-yard run.”
Daniel does Try to use both sides of the game to complete the Washington Carousel in place. Over the last 10 seasons, the Chiefs have started 14 quarterbacks and finished over .500 twice.
In his search for a solution, first-year coach Dan Quinn has identified the qualities he’s looking for in his team’s next quarterback, which are accuracy (especially on the deep pass) and mobility. Above all, Quinn needs a player with an educated mental processor.
How quickly can he make the right decision? Can it speed up the process when flashing? Can you predict sparks? Can he get out of the broken game?
And is he the type of quarterback who, as a former defensive coordinator, would create offense for defensive coaches like Quinn?
“There’s a lot of information coming from that place,” Quinn said in March. “Actually, I spent most of my time as A [defensive] The coach was trying to change the look of the man so they had to do the process after having the ball in their hands.
Daniel meets that qualification – and more.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah described Daniels as “quiet and comfortable in the pocket” and a quarterback who throws with “eagerness, touch and accuracy” and “manages safeties to create separation fields with his eye.”
Jeremiah added: “He’s had great success in the games I’ve learned and he needs to do a better job of protecting himself.” Overall, Daniel made a big leap in 2023 and now offers both a top floor and a roof.
Daniels will likely need to fill out his lean frame and work on reducing unnecessary hits in the pocket. But the attention of Peters and the commanders was clearly on his ability to change.
“I am thrilled and excited to welcome Jayden Daniels to the Commander family!” Commanders limited partner Magic Johnson He wrote on X. “I look forward to all the victories we celebrate this season and the years to come with you as our leader. I know you will lead our franchise not only as a quarterback, but also in the locker room and in the DMV community.
When Daniels called to announce the Washington pick, Peters praised his “journey” and work ethic.
But much of the week leading up to the draft was focused on Daniel’s top-30 visit to the Chiefs, which he shared with 20 other players, including three quarterbacks. His agent, Ronald Butler, posted a “thinking face” emoji on social media that seemed to disapprove of the team’s visit, but Daniels and his publicist immediately tried to dispel any notion that he wouldn’t be happy in Washington.
“Oh, I’m excited,” Daniels assured Thursday night before naming several of his future teammates. “When I came in and got to work, I was very happy. i knew [Washington wide receiver] Jahan [Dotson] Previously. We are the same age. Obviously, what Terry [McLaurin] He did. At the next level, you’ve got a great run by Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler. Those guys are very explosive players. New additions with Zach Ertz. I’m happy to come in and learn how to be a professional. I’m excited to get to work, and excited to meet my new teammates.
The feeling seems to be mutual.
“ELITE pick,” Dotson wrote in a text message.