The Washington Commanders surprised just about nobody by drafting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Heisman Trophy winner will now join a Commanders franchise in desperate need of wins, and those who have wanted Daniels all along are already celebrating what they hope will be a bright future for the quarterback and the team.
Washington has been projected to select Daniels for the better part of the last month despite North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye being the early favorite this offseason.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was selected No. 2 in the NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.
SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA
Daniels started his collegiate career with the Arizona State Sun Devils where he spent three seasons playing for coach Herm Edwards, throwing for just over 6,000 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions.
His ability to protect the football is surely one of the reasons that LSU pursued the dual-threat quarterback when he entered the transfer portal and joining the Tigers in 2022 Daniels eclipsed his previous passing total in just two years.
While his interception rate actually dropped from 13 in three years to just seven in his final two, Daniels’ touchdown production skyrocketed thanks to NFL-caliber weapons and further development of his already electric abilities.
He threw 40 touchdowns to just four interceptions in 12 games in his final season at LSU, something Washington brass will undoubtedly highlight when asked why they settled on him over Maye or even Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Daniels also ran for over 3,000 yards in his collegiate career collecting 34 rushing touchdowns in the process. 21 of those came in the last two years alone.
Washington last spent a top two pick on a quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft when it selected Robert Griffin III out of Baylor. Another Heisman Trophy winner ‘RGIII’ won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2012 but ultimately had his career derailed by injuries.
With one pick spent, Commanders general manager Adam Peters is now expected to pursue a trade back into the first round to add a pass protector to help out his new rookie quarterback.
