Jayden Daniels on what he's heard from Washington Commanders at No. 2: 'I ain't got any assurance'
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels saw his stock skyrocket during the NFL Draft evaluation process following his Heisman Trophy-winning season in Baton Rouge. Quickly establishing himself as an elite dual-threat quarterback and one of the top prospects ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft.
A majority of evaluators and most mock drafts project Daniels to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, selected by the Washington Commanders as they look to embark on a new era with changes in their front office and coaching staff. But when Daniels made an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up the morning of the draft, he was asked if he had any assurance from Washington that he would in fact be the draft’s second selection.
“Nah, I ain’t got any assurance,” Daniels said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know when I’m going to hear my name called or by who so we shall see.”
Mock drafts create a lot of buzz, but when it comes to the NFL Draft there’s no such thing as guarantees.
The closest thing to a guarantee is USC quarterback Caleb Williams going with the No. 1 overall pick to the Chicago Bears, regarded as a generational talent that’s drawn comparisons to Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. But with other quarterback prospects like Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy also in the mix and numerous trade possibilities at the top of the draft, Daniels’ NFL future as the No. 2 pick does come with a hint of uncertainty.
Rather than traditional one-on-one visits ahead of the draft, the Commanders conducted a 20-person visit that included Daniels and the other top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. A decision that some believe shows Washington is keeping their options open at the No. 2 pick and that Daniels’ agent Ron Butler showed some pushback towards. Retweeting a ProFootballTalk conversation that was critical of the Commanders’ decision.
But Daniels made it clear that the franchise’s group visit did not bother him.
“Man, I control what I can control at the end of the day,” Daniels said. “I know those guys, we’re all very cool, and it was a fun visit so there wasn’t anything to it. They decided to invite all of us up there, we’re just all blessed to be up there at the same time and to share that experience.”
It will be fascinating to see where Daniels and all of this year’s quarterbacks will land following an offseason filled to the brim with different opinions and projections regarding their futures. As the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off in Detroit at 8:00 p.m. ET.