LSU QB Jayden Daniels meeting with NFL teams following Pro Day
All 32 NFL teams are in Baton Rouge for LSU Pro Day, and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels has a busy day ahead.
Daniels will throw in front of scouts, and his top two receivers from the 2023 season are in attendance in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. – who are also projected as first-round picks in the NFL Draft next month.
Following LSU Pro Day on Wednesday, Daniels is set to meet with a handful of teams in position to take a quarterback near the top of the draft.
Daniels will have private meetings with New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick, and nearly all draft analysts projected Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams to be the first name off the board.
From there, Daniels – and quarterbacks like JJ McCarthy and Drake Maye – likely won’t have to wait long to hear their names called. Daniels is currently the odds-on favorite to be the second quarterback selected.
The Commanders have the No. 2 pick and the Patriots have the No. 3 pick, and both teams will meet with Daniels following LSU Pro Day.
Other meetings include the Giants (No. 6 pick), the Vikings (No. 11 pick), the Broncos (No. 12 pick) and the Raiders (No. 13 pick).
Daniels isn’t focused on his pick, but rather his landing spot
Jayden Daniels isn’t worried about being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, just wants to “go to the best situation,” he said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“I just want to go to the best situation, if that’s the first pick, if that’s the 32nd pick,” Daniels said. “I’m just blessed overall just to be here. No matter where I hear my name called, I’ll be happy.”
Daniels, 23, is expected to be a Top 5 pick coming off an incredibly successful collegiate career. He spent three seasons at Arizona State before transferring to LSU to play under head coach Brian Kelly. Daniels took his game to another level in Baton Rouge, throwing for 6,725 yards, 57 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 70.2% passing across two seasons. He added 2,019 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground.
Daniels added that while being the No. 1 overall pick is “something special,” it “doesn’t hold a lot of weight for me.”
“Yeah, there’s something special (about being No. 1),” Daniels said. “Being viewed as the No. 1 overall player, for that draft, the No. 1 overall pick, there’s some significance to it. But you know, it doesn’t hold a lot of weight for me.”
Instead, Daniels has his focus on going to the best situation and “making the most of it.”
“Whatever situation God puts me in, whoever calls my name, that’s the best situation for me, and I plan on making the most of it,” Daniels said.
Dan Orlovsky ranks Jayden Daniels over Caleb Williams, states case No. 1 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
For what it’s worth, there are some who believe Daniels should be taken No. 1. On “Get Up,” ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky outlined his reasons for why he’d take Daniels over USC’s Caleb Williams, the presumed No. 1 overall pick.
“I want to build this criteria, what do you think is transferable to the NFL?” Orlovsky said. “No. 1, who has the best ball placement versus man coverage? When you watch the tape, what guy sees man coverage and throws it the best versus tight, that’s Jayden Daniels.
“No. 2, it’s not who creates the most explosive plays. What does it look like when they throw down the field? … Caleb had a lot of wide-open guys downfield because he would create so much. Jayden Daniels is the best at that… Who is the calmest in the pocket? Jayden Daniels is the best at that.”
