Jayden Daniels

Drake Maye Latest: Patriots, Ownership, Daniels, McCarthy, Giants, Vikings

April 25th, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:58pm: To little surprise, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports teams around the league believe New England will retain the third overall pick and use it on Maye. That would meet the team’s goal of adding a prospect capable of becoming a franchise passer and fall in line with the way draft winds have been blowing for quite some time. It would also, of course, increase attention on the Cardinals as the first team in position to select a non-QB.

10:34am: With Caleb Williams ticketed for Chicago and Jayden Daniels moving into clear pole position with Washington, where Drake Maye will end up has become perhaps this draft’s top talking point. A number of teams are on the radar for the two-year North Carolina starter, though the Patriots look set to have the right of first refusal.

Expected to come out of the first round with a passer, the Pats hosted Maye on a visit and have done plenty of work on this QB class. While trade-down rumblings have emerged, it does not appear strong offers have come the Pats’ way. They are expected to keep the No. 3 overall pick, and NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran believes Maye will be the Pats’ choice — barring a monster trade offer changing their mind. Curran mentions the Giants and Vikings as the teams that could change the Patriots’ mind with a big proposal.

This move would stand to appease ownership, which is taking a more hands-on role during this pre-draft process compared to how things ran under Bill Belichick. Pats ownership seems to carry a “strong preference” Eliot Wolf and Co. leave Round 1 with a quarterback, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes. While rumors of the Pats having Michael Penix Jr. in their back pocket — in the event they trade out of No. 3 — the Washington prospect has since generated buzz about rising into the top 10. That may still be the less likely scenario for the left-hander, but the Pats would be taking a risk if they traded out of No. 3.

The Patriots are believed to, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, have Daniels rated ahead of Maye — a ranking we first heard about during the Combine — but that may well be a moot point due to the Commanders holding the No. 2 choice. Washington GM Adam Peters and OC Kliff Kingsbury are believed to be high on Daniels, setting up a Patriots Maye-or-J.J. McCarthy call. Washington is not expected to trade down, much to Las Vegas’ chagrin. Any (likely irrelevant) Daniels preference aside, Fowler adds the Pats still like the upside Maye — who, at 21, is two years younger than the reigning Heisman winner — brings to the table.

Maye met with the Patriots, Commanders and Giants and worked out for the Vikings in Minnesota. In the view of the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, the 6-foot-4 prospect spoke more glowingly of his Giants meeting compared to how things went in Foxborough. Maye also declined to say if he met with Robert Kraft during his visit. The Giants, who hold the No. 6 pick, employ the play-caller in place when Josh Allen‘s ascent began (Brian Daboll). The Patriots are in transition, with Alex Van Pelt set to work as a regular play-caller for the first time — save for a 2020 Browns-Steelers wild-card game Kevin Stefanski missed due to COVID-19 — in 15 years.

The Giants and Vikings have a vested interest in how the Patriots proceed. The tide has either turned for the Giants in their Maye-or-McCarthy preference, or an elaborate smokescreen operation is afoot. Maye-Giants connections have continued to come out of New York, and ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan furthers them by offering that the recent Tar Heels standout is indeed the QB — among the options expected to be within their reach — the team covets.

That said, McCarthy chimed in (during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show) by saying he spent more time with the Giants than any other team during the run-up to the draft. The Michigan prospect joins Maye in receiving intense scrutiny, and while he was more closely tied to the Giants weeks ago, the Broncos have been linked to him more recently. It would be costly for Denver to move up from No. 12 for McCarthy or Maye, though it is interesting Sean Payton‘s team has been more closely tied to the former given the recent rumors tying the latter to New York and Minnesota.

Sitting at Nos. 4 and 5, the Cardinals and Chargers have discussed terms with QB-needy teams residing outside the top three. How the Pats proceed will crystallize the value of those choices. Maye being off the board at 3 could weaken the positions of Arizona and Los Angeles, and hours away from the draft, it looks like that will be the case.

Raiders, Cardinals Have Discussed No. 4; Las Vegas Unlikely To Move Up For Non-Jayden Daniels QB?

April 25th, 2024 at 8:27am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are known to have contacted the Commanders and Chargers about the Nos. 2 and 5 overall picks. It should then come as no surprise to hear the Silver and Black have reached out about the Cardinals‘ No. 4 selection as well.

Arizona has heard from Las Vegas about No. 4, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The Cardinals are both setting a high price on their pick and not believed to want to move too far down the board. The Raiders holding No. 13 would complicate this, as it has complicated their long-rumored effort to climb to No. 2 for Jayden Daniels. With the LSU alum (and ex-Antonio Pierce Arizona State charge) likely out of reach, the Raiders’ path has become murky.

Teams view the Raiders as unlikely to move up for a non-Daniels quarterback, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds. Las Vegas made Daniels the centerpiece of a trade-up effort likely doomed by the 2023 edition’s strong finish. Pierce’s run as interim HC landed him the full-time job — as the first NFL interim boss to move to regular duty in seven years — but it also dropped the Raiders to an unfavorable draft slot. The team has been connected to Michael Penix Jr. as well, and mock drafts have indeed reflected this interest. Penix’s potential late rise aside, the Raiders may not need to trade up if they truly want the Washington standout.

Daniels has made it clear he is prepared to play for whichever team drafts him, but the dual-threat standout appears to have two destinations ranked above the team he will likely end up with by tonight. The 2023 Heisman winner, “in a dream world,” would end up with either the Raiders or Vikings, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required). The Vikings also have been linked to interest in trading up for Daniels, and Minnesota — having made no secret, via actions and comments, about interest in acquiring a first-round QB this year — may be comfortable with more QBs compared to most teams.

In the Raiders’ locker room after their Week 18 win over the Broncos, Daniels has been linked to wanting to be a Raider for a bit as well. These hopes are not expected to deter the Commanders, who have been tied to the five-year college QB for a bit now. While Washington has Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy fans in the building as well, GM Adam Peters is believed to be high on Daniels, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds.

The Commanders’ QB stance may also have changed as the pre-draft process dragged on. The team was believed to have been moving toward choosing Maye before the Senior Bowl, pro days and Combine, Howe adds.

It is unclear what changed the new Washington regime’s mind, as Daniels did not work out at the Combine or his pro day. The two passers famously visited, along with McCarthy and Penix, together earlier this month (Topfolf was also involved). The pre-draft circuit looks to have sold the new Washington personnel boss on Daniels, who enjoyed a far better 2023 season compared to Maye, who is more than two years younger. Peters was heavily involved in the 49ers’ call to draft Trey Lance in 2021; tonight represents a shot at redemption for the first-time GM.

One exec informed Howe he would not rule out a Daniels slide past No. 2. That scenario would add more intrigue to this draft’s expected QB-centric start, as the Patriots and Cardinals’ picks would suddenly become more valuable if Daniels were still on the board. But the purveying view hours away from Round 1 is Daniels is ticketed for D.C. This stands to leave the Pats with a Maye-McCarthy debate; both QBs are believed to have backers in Foxborough.

Raiders Contact Commanders About No. 2 Pick; No Trade Expected

April 23rd, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

After new Commanders GM Adam Peters said he did not envision many scenarios in which his team would move off the No. 2 overall pick, the other team that has been regularly connected to Jayden Daniels opted to test the NFC East team’s commitment.

The Raiders indeed contacted the Commanders about a trade-down from No. 2, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. Other teams have inquired about Washington’s selection, but Garafolo and NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport note the team has not shown an indication it is interested in moving down.

Indeed, the draft is expected to start with Caleb Williams and Daniels. While the 2023 Heisman winner is not considered a full-on lock to head to Washington in the way the 2022 Heisman recipient is tied to Chicago at No. 1, SI.com’s Albert Breer offers that most around the NFL expect Daniels to be a Commander by Thursday night.

Not ruling out Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy to Washington, Breer notes Daniels remains a clear favorite here. It has been trending this way for a bit now. Still, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson adds Maye and McCarthy fans still exist within the Washington building. These two joined Daniels on that much-discussed mass Commanders visit last week.

It is certainly unsurprising to see the Raiders mentioned as an 11th-hour suitor. Due to Antonio Pierce‘s past with Daniels at Arizona State, they have been connected to the dual-threat talent longer than any NFL team. But Washington lost its final eight games last season, outflanking New England for the right to pick second. The Raiders holding No. 13 overall has long made it unlikely they could put together a package appealing enough to convince a QB-needy Commanders operation to slide down that far.

A report earlier this month offered intrigue about the Raiders’ desire to move up, putting Pierce and new GM Tom Telesco on opposing sides of that debate. Telesco, who has been tied to either Justin Herbert or Philip Rivers throughout his GM career, was said to not be overly enthusiastic about the prospect of sacrificing major draft capital to acquire a quarterback in this draft. Pierce was pegged as being readier to do what it takes to land a long-term passer. The now-full-time HC has not been shy about expressing his interest in such an addition, but the Raiders’ draft slot will bring complications in a year that could feature an NFL-first QB-QB-QB-QB start to a draft.

As it stands now, Gardner Minshew is on track to be Las Vegas’ Week 1 starter. But Daniels is not the only passer the Raiders have been paired with during the draft run-up. Raiders interest in Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. has escalated, at least per multiple reports; the recent national championship game starter could profile as a Daniels consolation prize for Pierce’s team. Then again, a Monday rumor suggested the Patriots could be open to trading back — perhaps with the Vikings (No. 11) or Broncos (No. 12) — and acquiring Penix. Thus far, however, New England is also expected to stay at No. 3 and choose a passer.

Perhaps a final round of Raiders-Daniels buzz circulated last week, when reports pointed to the ex-Arizona State recruit wanting to play for the AFC West team. Barring historically unusual efforts, players do not exactly have a say in who drafts them. Daniels, who attended Las Vegas’ Week 18 game and visited Pierce’s team in the locker room, did not deny interest in being a Raider. But he acknowledged he will be eager to play for whichever team drafts him. It still looks like that will be the Commanders.

The Raiders showed interest in trading up — likely with Daniels in mind — at multiple points this offseason, even to the point they were interested in obtaining the No. 1 pick. The Bears showed next to no interest in making a move, having traded Justin Fields to clear the decks for Williams. The Commanders made a similar move, dealing Sam Howell to the Seahawks and installing Marcus Mariota as a backup/bridge option.

QB Jayden Daniels Addresses Raiders Interest

April 22nd, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Adam La Rose

As the countdown to the draft enters its final days, Jayden Daniels remains the subject of considerable speculation at the top of the board. The Heisman-winning quarterback is in position to be selected as early as second overall by the Commanders, but links to the Raiders have been made throughout the offseason.

Daniels began his college career at Arizona State, where he played under Antonio Pierce. The latter is now in place as the Raiders’ head coach, and Las Vegas has frequently been named as a team to watch regarding a move up the order in general and one targeting Daniels in particular. Recent reports indicated the LSU product is interested in a reunion with Pierce, something he spoke publicly about.

“I don’t know how they’re gonna pull it off,” Daniels said during an appearance on the Nightcap Show with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson when asked about landing with the Raiders. “But I mean that’s above my pay grade… A.P. just as a human being, he’s the right coach for that team. You know, just him and the intensity that he brings. He challenges people. He was challenging me at 18.

“So I know if I was to go to the Raiders — I’m not saying I’m gonna go there or I wanna go there, I wanna go wherever my name is called — if I was to go to the Raiders, I know as soon as I step foot, he’s gonna challenge me.”

Multiple signs have pointed to Daniels remaining the favorite to be Washington’s choice, and the QB-needy Commanders are not expected to trade out of the No. 2 slot. Even if the Raiders (currently positioned to pick 13th) pull off a costly move up the board, the team could be consigned to drafting another passer capable of competing for the starting role. If a swap making Daniels available was deemed to not be a feasible option, Vegas could look at other Day 1 prospects and rely on Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew under center.

Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco may not be in lockstep with respect to the team’s quarterback strategy entering their first year working together. The latter could favor a Minshew-O’Connell pairing for 2024, something which would eliminate the possibility of a reunion with Daniels from Pierce’s perspective. It will be interesting to see how aggressive Vegas gets in the coming days regarding trade negotiations for an aggressive QB pursuit.

The Raiders’ draft plans are a key talking point, as is the case for teams like the Giants, Vikings and Broncos. Daniels will remain connected to Vegas in particular over the coming days, especially given his praise of Pierce before learning his fate. A different destination remains likely, and how the Raiders react in the event Daniels is drafted by the Commanders will be a key factor in shaping the first-round landscape.

Latest On Jayden Daniels, Commanders

April 20th, 2024 at 2:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite his seeming lack of agency in the situation, rumors have persisted that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels prefers not to be drafted by the Commanders. Washington holds the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, though, so unless Daniels becomes a favorite for No. 1 over USC’s Caleb Williams all of the sudden, it’s up to the Commanders to make that decision. A recent report from Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports attempted to dispel the recent rumors, claiming that the situation has been overblown.

The rumors seemed to stem from two different instances. The first was a report that Daniels would love to be drafted by the Raiders. Realistically, this would either require a huge trade up from Las Vegas’ current spot at 13th overall. Or Daniels would need to somehow slip back far enough to still be available by then. The rumor stems from the fact that Daniels and new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce are familiar with each other from the time the two shared at Arizona State.

The second instance was Daniels’ “top 30” visit with the Commanders. Washington took a strange approach in their “top 30” visits with the draft’s quarterbacks. Instead of hosting each quarterback on their own individual visit, the Commanders invited Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. all at the same time. Based on reports that Daniels was caught off guard by this, they seemingly designed the group visit without informing the prospects that their competition would be in attendance.

Still, despite the surprise nature of the visit, it doesn’t seem like there are any hard feelings. Vacchiano reports that any issues have been settled, as the two sides have since spoken. Daniels hasn’t taken the issue personally, and the Commanders view the reported issue as “just noise” that won’t contribute to their eventual decision.

If Washington decides that Daniels is the answer moving forward, they will select him. And, based on a statement from one of Daniels’ representatives, he is “excited” to be in the NFL, regardless of wherever he gets drafted. Does this confirm or dispel rumors that he has a preference? No, but it likely provides assurance that he won’t force the issue later this month.

Jayden Daniels Latest: Commanders, Kingsbury, Harris, Raiders, Visit, Weight

April 19th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jayden Daniels remains the favorite to be chosen second overall. The Commanders hold that pick, and they hosted the 2023 Heisman winner — at the same time as a few other quarterbacks — just before the deadline for “30” visits to be conducted. While the LSU and Arizona State product does not have much of a say in where he goes, rumors still point to him preferring another team.

Daniels would “love” to see the Raiders draft him, two GMs told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora. During an interview with ESPN colleague Pat McAfee, Adam Schefter noted Daniels has had interest in playing elsewhere from the outset of the pre-draft process. Considering his past with Raiders HC Antonio Pierce and the AFC West team not doing a good job of making it a secret it would want to reunite the two, it is unsurprising Daniels would be more interested in playing in Las Vegas than Washington.

In place since the 1930s, the draft system obviously does not cater to players’ wishes. The Raiders are believed to have asked OC candidates about working with Daniels, but that came months ago. As of this week, a Raiders move up from No. 13 into Daniels territory — quite possibly as high as No. 2 — was viewed as impossible. It is also not known if GM Tom Telesco feels as strongly as Pierce does about trading up for a QB, adding more intrigue to a pre-draft process that has featured little known beyond the Bears’ likely Caleb Williams pick.

New Washington OC Kliff Kingsbury is believed to favor Daniels, La Canfora adds, who impressed more as a runner than Kyler Murray did in college. Daniels is coming off an 1,143-yard rushing season, and his improvement as a passer (40 TDs, four INTs last season) at LSU — while targeting the likes of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas — has rocketed the slender prospect up the board. On the slender subject, however, Daniels’ weight has come up frequently during the draft run-up.

Daniels played at 185 during the 2021 season at Arizona State, a scout told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. He weighed in at 210 pounds this offseason, after having bulked up some following his transfer. Another scout told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required) that Daniels was at 181 with the Sun Devils and played in the 190s at LSU — before ballooning to 210 this offseason.

This issue did not limit the talented QB at LSU, and some NFL coaches view Daniels as a better prospect than even Williams. But Daniels playing south of 200 before adding offseason weight calls into question how big he will be during his rookie season. Considering his playing style — one NFC coordinator told Pelissero that Daniels takes hits like Anthony Richardson, who is 244 pounds — this not an insignificant concern for teams ahead of the draft.

Pivoting back to the Washington side here, Daniels’ camp did not expect (via Schefter) the QB’s visit to come at the same time Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. met with the team. Teams generally do not gather QB prospects as a group for “30” visits, staggering them to gain better looks at passers. Considering Washington holds the No. 2 overall pick and is on the cusp of drafting a passer in the top 10 for the first time since trading up for Robert Griffin III in 2012, the team’s group gathering was a bit surprising.

The Commanders’ new regime took shape this offseason, with Josh Harris hiring Adam Peters to run football operations and Dan Quinn to coach the team. In the new owner’s first offseason, however, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates the Dan Snyder successor has been more involved in the pre-draft process than expected.

Owner involvement — as Washington fans know well — is not too uncommon in the NFL, though it is usually a concern when ownership overreaches as football personnel prepare for major decisions. Harris is believed to have made his stance known about trading both Montez Sweat and Chase Young at last year’s deadline, when the coaching staff did not want to move Sweat. It will obviously be interesting to see how much Harris — who has extensive experience in an ownership role due to his work with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils — impacts how the Commanders proceed next week.

QB Prospect Notes: Williams, Patriots, Commanders, Giants

April 16th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Caleb Williams is still expected to hear his name called first during next week’s draft, but the USC quarterback didn’t make the best impression on teams during the pre-draft process. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Williams’ interviews with teams were described as “good, not great” and “just OK.”

As Fowler notes, Williams declined medical exams and only did a handful of interviews, where he didn’t show the same poise and preparation as his fellow QB prospects. Naturally, some teams assumed this was a “byproduct of being a player who knows he’s going No. 1.” While Williams’ pre-draft strategy wasn’t considered a personality red flag by scouts, one AFC executive believes Williams left the door open for the Bears to pivot.

“I don’t think he’s had a great spring,” the executive told Fowler. “He’s still going first. That’s pretty much a done deal. But while he was a no-brainer three months ago, there’s at least a conversation now. Even still, I think he’s a smart kid, a good kid. He just knows where he’s going.”

Perhaps partly due to Williams’ offseason showing, there are some coaches who have actually graded LSU’s Jayden Daniels over the USC QB, per Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com. Of course, the only opinion that matters belongs to the Bears, but this recent grading adjustment at least leads Caplan to surmise that Daniels will be selected ahead of North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

While Maye is an underdog to be selected in the top-two, it’s no longer a guarantee that he’s even chosen with the third-overall pick. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, there’s a “healthy debate” in New England between Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. While there’s still a chance the Patriots trade out of the No. 3 spot in pursuit of future picks, Breer believes owner Robert Kraft “views this as a rare chance to get a quarterback at this level.” The organization has certainly made it clear they’re eyeing all of the top-tier prospects, as the Patriots have met with Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy.

Washington is currently sitting with the second-overall pick, and they’ve been equally active in scouting QB prospects. Interestingly, the team will be hosting all of Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, and Washington’s Michael Penix for their top-30 visits at the same time, per Breer. This stems from GM Adam Peters‘ experience from San Francisco, where the 49ers would bring in groupings of prospects to see how they interact with peers.

With the Cardinals and Chargers likely out of the running for a top QB prospect, the Giants are next in line at the position behind Chicago, Washington, and New England. There’s been recent buzz that the Giants could look to move up (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) or even move back (per Fowler, via WBG84), but either way, it’s pretty clear the organization is targeting a signal-caller.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes the Giants are high enough on Maye that they’d swing a trade up the draft board. The writer also believes the organization isn’t enamored with McCarthy, perhaps necessitating a trade back if the Michigan QB is there at No. 6. If the Giants do end up trading back, Duggan could see a scenario where the team is actively pursuing Penix or Oregon’s Bo Nix in the back half of the first round.

Raiders Interested In QB Michael Penix Jr.?

April 15th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Raiders hopes of forging a path that ends with Jayden Daniels is increasingly unlikely, despite the run of rumors indicating how much the team wants to pair Antonio Pierce with the former Arizona State recruit. A consolation prize is now being brought up.

The Raiders would have “loved” to find a way to trade up for Daniels, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter offers, before adding that route will be “impossible” to complete. Las Vegas holds the No. 13 overall pick, while the 2023 Heisman winner may be the frontrunner to go off the board at 2.

With the Commanders presumably interested in adding Daniels to their roster, the Raiders — who sit behind the QB-needy Vikings (No. 11) and Broncos (No. 12) — would stand to be effectively stonewalled on this front. As our Ely Allen noted recently, the Raiders probably lack the capital to make a move that big. A recent report indicated the team may not be in lockstep on trading up at all, with Pierce perhaps higher on climbing to land a QB than GM Tom Telesco.

While this rumored disagreement would create an interesting conflict ahead of the duo’s first draft together, the Raiders do have Gardner Minshew on a two-year, $25MM deal. The recent Colts fill-in starter could mentor a young QB in need of seasoning. With a route to the top four set to be difficult to make happen, the Michael Penix Jr.–Bo Nix tier would be worth looking into.

On that note, Schefter adds some chatter in the QB community has pointed to the Raiders eyeing Penix. Raiders-Penix whispers are growing louder, Vic Tafur of The Athletic adds (subscription required). Though, Tafur does not mock Penix to Las Vegas. The impressive deep-ball thrower has generated more interest among coaches than scouts, with the latter contingent iffy on his overall package — due to his past injuries and some accuracy issues beyond the deep ball. Some coaches have ex-Washington southpaw rated higher than some of the top-tier arms in this draft class.

Certainly fans of the long game for much of their history, the Raiders once upon a time would have been a natural team to tie to Penix. The recent CFP national championship game starter finished his sixth and final college season with a Division I-FBS-most 4,903 passing yards (8.8 per attempt) and 36 TD passes, forming a lethal combination with likely top-10 wideout pick Rome Odunze. This included a 430-yard outing to move Washington past Texas in the CFP semifinals. A transfer from Indiana, Penix averaged more passing yards per game in his first year at Washington (2022).

The Raiders hosted Penix on a “30” visit, being among the eight teams to have scheduled a meeting with the first-round-caliber prospect. Some might view grabbing Penix at 13 a reach, but the draft regularly bumps up QBs due to their towering positional value. Nix has also trekked to Las Vegas for a meeting.

This draft will be quite interesting for the futures of two AFC West franchises, with the Broncos appearing in worse QB shape than their rivals. The Penix-Nix prospect tier will be one to monitor closely in connection with both teams, as the Vikings — who acquired the No. 23 overall pick from the Texans last month — have more ammo to trade up by comparison.

Commanders Expected To Draft QB Jayden Daniels?

April 12th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders are set to host all three of the top quarterback prospects expected to be on the board when they are on the clock at No. 2 overall. While the team still has plenty to do in the ongoing evaluation process, a favorite may have emerged.

Opinions are split on which passer out of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy will come off the board after Caleb Williams (who is widely expected to hear his name called first overall). Over the course of the pre-draft process, though, Daniels has seen his stock experience a boost in the wake of his Heisman-winning season from 2023. As such, he remains firmly in contention to head to the nation’s capital.

ESPN’s Matt Miller writes NFL executives and scouts consider Daniels the likeliest pick for the Commanders. None of the evaluators polled for that assessment are within the Commanders’ organization, however, so the team’s ultimate decision will likely not become clear until the night of Round 1. Still, it comes as little surprise that signs point toward a Daniels selection on Washington’s part.

The Arizona State transfer spent the past two years at LSU. He posted by far his most productive campaign in 2023, scoring 50 total touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing) while completing 72.% of his passes and throwing just four interceptions. Daniels has drawn praise for his processing ability in addition to his notable rushing totals.

However, he will be 24 by the end of his rookie campaign in the NFL, leading to concerns Maye and/or McCarthy could have more upside. Both members of the latter pair also have a much larger frame than Daniels, and questions have been raised regarding his ability to withstand the physicality of the pro game especially considering his dual-threat skillset. Still, Daniels should provide his next team with a relatively high floor, and the interest shown from other QB-needy teams suggests he should not need to wait long to hear his name called.

Washington has a ‘top 30’ visit lined up with each of Daniels, Maye and McCarthy next week. It is after that point that first-year general manager Adam Peters, new head coach Dan Quinn and Co. will arrive at a final commitment with respect to a new franchise signal-caller. As John Keim notes in the aforementioned ESPN piece, Quinn has stated post-snap processing is a trait being targeted in the Commanders’ ongoing search. That factor – along with the expectations of personnel around the league – could point in Daniels’ direction for the second overall pick.

Vikings Schedule Meeting With QB Jayden Daniels

April 11th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Adam La Rose

As one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s class, Jayden Daniels remains busy with respect to in-person meetings with potential NFL destinations. That process will see him take part in a private visit with the Vikings.

Minnesota has lined up a second summit with the reigning Heisman winner, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Daniels had already booked a ‘top 30’ visit with the Vikings, and it comes as no surprise the team is taking an extended look in this case. Minnesota has frequently been linked to a trade moving the team up the order from 11th overall into the top five.

In the event that were to take place, Daniels may very well be the target. Plenty of intrigue exists at the top of the board with the draft drawing nearer, as only Caleb Williams-Bears connections with the No. 1 pick are believed to be certain. After Williams (presumably) hears his name called first on Day 1, Daniels (who is also set to visit Washington) is one of the top candidates to be selected second overall by the Commanders. Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy join him in that regard.

Daniels threw at LSU’s Pro Day, after he declined to take part in testing or measurements at the NFL Combine. As a result, it would come as little surprise if the Vikings preferred to have him take part in a workout when making his return to Minnesota. The team has not sent large contingents to many Pro Days this offseason, instead opting for private visits. Daniels’ frame has been the only main criticism he has faced so far, as detailed by Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network. Compliments based on his processing and ability to make throws while on the move has helped his stock’s notable rise during the build-up to the draft.

After watching Kirk Cousins depart in free agency, Minnesota signed Sam Darnold on a one-year deal. The Vikings have nevertheless been named as a team to watch regarding a long-term investment under center, and the acquisition of a second Day 1 pick (No. 23, from the Texans) has given them the capital to move up the board. Daniels is firmly on Minnesota’s radar as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Co. contemplate an aggressive QB addition later this month.

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