The Washington Commanders have selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Daniels, who started his college career at Arizona State before transferring to LSU, completed 65% of his passes for 12,749 yards with 89 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Daniels also adds dynamic ability as a runner, ranking first among quarterbacks in 2023 with 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns.
"With five seasons of starting experience under his belt, Daniels possesses a rare blend of playmaking talent and command from the pocket," wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "He's tall but slender, so there will be concerns about durability, considering how often he ran in college. However, teams must also recognize that he has no issues sitting in the pocket and working through progressions as a platform thrower with good mechanics and footwork."
The 2023 Heisman winner had a stellar end to his time with the Tigers. On top of ranking third in program history in total offense and fourth in career passing yards, Daniels finished fifth among all quarterbacks last season with 3,812 yards and second in passing touchdowns. He is the only player in FBS history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards.
It wasn't just that Daniels had improved in 2023; it was also that he had drastically cleaned up his skill set. He led college football with a passer rating of 208 on top of completing 72.2% with 40 touchdowns -- second most behind Bo Nix -- and just four interceptions.
When it comes to creating explosive plays through the air, there was no one better than Daniels in 2023. He had the best grade on passes of at least 20 yards with 27 big-time throws and just one turnover worthy play. And good luck trying to pressure him; he threw 20 touchdowns with no interceptions and a completion rate of 74.4%.
The Commanders have searched for a long-term answer at quarterback for the better part of six years. While there have been several temporary solutions, Washington has seen 12 quarterbacks start at least one game since the team moved on from Kirk Cousins.
But now that Daniels is officially part of the roster after months of speculation, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn believe they have found the franchise quarterback of the future.
