The Washington Commanders hope to have finally solved their decades-long quarterback conundrum by selecting Heisman winner and former LSU star Jayden Daniels with the second pick of Thursday’s NFL Draft in Detroit.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams had long been considered a lock for the Chicago Bears with the first overall pick. It was the second pick, with Washington looking to replace failed starter Sam Howell after a 4-13 season, that divided pundits.
Commanders general manager Adam Peters ultimately chose Williams over North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, who were invited to a recent TopGolf outing with Daniels by the team’s staff.
“They did a good job of not showing their hand too much,” Daniels said after being chosen Thursday. ‘But, based on the conversations we had, I was pretty sure I could come here and fit in with the Commanders team. I’m here now. I can’t wait to start working.’
Reports that Daniels’ agent, Ron Butler, was dissatisfied with the visit led his client to answer questions about it 33 hours before the Commanders went on the clock.
Jayden Daniels poses with commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected second overall
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy last year and hopes to be a solution for the Commanders
Daniels won a Heisman Trophy at LSU and now goes to Washington with the second pick
Daniels spent the next few days spreading speculation that he hoped to avoid Washington, a team that has lost about 30 starting quarterbacks this millennium.
‘I had fun with the other kids being able to interact with people throughout the process. He was great,” Daniels said of Topgolf, adding that he is not a golfer but is starting to learn the sport.
Teams typically want to maximize their time with a player before the draft, so Washington faced criticism for its decision to host a group visit.
Daniels downplayed any problems with that.
“I spent quite a bit of time with them,” Daniels said. “Obviously the Zoom meetings before and the combine and when I got there I spent some time with them but I had other places to go so I had to catch a flight but overall it was a good visit.”
New Commanders coach Dan Quinn hired former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury to be the offensive coordinator. Kingsbury had some success with dual-threat QB Kyler Murray in Arizona and previously with Patrick Mahomes and Johnny Manziel in college.
“Obviously, his track record with mobile quarterbacks speaks for itself,” Daniels said. “I have been familiar with Kliff.”
Jayden Daniels celebrates after a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium.
Former LSU quarterback Daniels opted for a gray and white outfit with sunglasses
In addition to winning the Heisman, Daniels was also the Associated Press Player of the Year.
Daniels received 35 of the 51 first-place votes and 130 total points from the top 25 voters in the AP poll. The Heisman Trophy finalist finished comfortably ahead of Washington quarterback Michael Penix, who came in second with 15 first-place votes and 97 points.
Oregon QB Bo Nix was third, with Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison fourth and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II fifth. Nix received the other first-place vote. USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 AP Player of the Year and last year’s Heisman winner, received no votes this season.
Daniels, Penix, Nix and Harrison are the finalists for the Heisman, which will be awarded on Saturday in New York. The AP Award winner has differed from the Heisman winner only twice in the last two decades.
Daniels, a native of San Bernardino, California, who transferred to LSU from Arizona State in 2022, has led the nation in total offense this season with 4,946 yards in 12 games (412.2 yards per game). He has thrown for 3,812 yards, which ranks third nationally. His 40 TDs are tied for first nationally with Nix, who has played one more game than Daniels.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Daniels rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 50 combined rushing and passing touchdowns, along with a 2-point conversion on a passing play, have earned him a national-high 302 points.
As a youth athlete, his nickname was ‘Suave,’ he said in an interview with The Associated Press, ‘because it looks like I’m not running fast or running hard… but I’m moving faster than most people think.’ .
As productive as Daniels has been as a passer, his elusiveness and breakaway speed as a wrestler have set him apart. During a 52-35 victory over Florida, Daniels became the first Football Bowl Subdivision QB to pass for more than 350 yards and rush for more than 200 in a game.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels goes through passing drills during the Tigers’ pro day in April.
“His ability to run when things aren’t right is unique,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “His speed, his durability, his toughness put him on par with the greats.”
Daniels ran for touchdowns of 85 and 51 yards against Florida, and he said the latter exemplified his instinctive approach to fighting. He said he read a linebacker’s eyes before darting behind him and then making his way toward the end zone.
“It’s just instincts,” Daniels said. “It’s not something I think about before the shot.”
Their approach carries risks and values toughness.
A big and possibly late hit on Missouri briefly forced Daniels to leave that game with a deep bruise on his ribs. He returned to lead LSU to a comeback victory, highlighted by his 35-yard scoring run. The rib injury bothered him for two more games.
“My pain tolerance is high,” Daniels said. “I was able to go out and deal with it.”
Pain tolerance is a definite plus for anyone heading to Washington.