LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels is among the elite quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. No signal-caller in all of college football displayed more growth throughout the 2023 season than Daniels did. This year's Heisman Trophy winner, Daniels threw for 3,872 yards and 40 touchdowns while completing 72.2% of his passing attempts. An electric dual-threat prospect, Daniels added 1,134 rushing yards and 10 additional touchdowns to his offensive totals.
Daniels has established himself as a top-10 selection. There will be franchises that prefer him over the top two perceived quarterback prospects, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. With that in mind, we've identified three potential landing spots for Daniels in the 2024 NFL Draft.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
I'm not ruling out the possibility that Daniels could be the second quarterback selected. The Commanders are in an outstanding position to draft a franchise quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection. The process of identifying the right quarterback starts now.
The Commanders recently appointed former San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters as their new GM. Peters is now leading the search for a new head coach, with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson positioned as a frontrunner. Peters and the head coach will begin their era by hand-picking the quarterback of the future. Sam Howell performed admirably at times throughout 2023, but new decision-makers often mean a new starting quarterback. In Washington, Daniels would be inheriting an exciting supporting cast that already includes Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is going to do things differently than Bill Belichick. The Patriots are expected to hire a general manager, opting for a more traditional organizational set-up in the wake of Belichick’s departure. The top priority for Mayo and the to-be-named GM is to replace Mac Jones as the starting quarterback.
Mayo acknowledged the importance of drafting a player at a premium position with the No. 3 overall selection when speaking with the media throughout his introductory press conferences. If the top two selections transpire as expected, then Daniels will be the top-ranked quarterback remaining on the board. The Patriots have to work to do this offseason, and it must begin by drafting a talented quarterback worth building around.
NEW YORK GIANTS
If for whatever reason Daniels makes it past the Patriots at No. 3, he isn't expected to garner consideration from the Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Chargers with the next two picks. This scenario would place the New York Giants in a prime position to select Daniel Jones' successor.
Jones did not meet the Giants' expectations in 2023 after signing a four-year contract extension worth $160 million last summer. Injuries and inconsistent play doomed Jones, who threw just two touchdowns and six interceptions in six regular-season appearances. If Giants general manager Joe Schoen is considering replacing Jones, he'd likely have to do so with a rookie quarterback given the sizable financial commitment already made to Jones. Drafting Daniels would give Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll a new and exciting quarterback to build around.
