"Going to leave the combine with a lot of number 1 buzz": ESPN analyst claims SEC QB might steal Caleb Williams' thunder as number one prospect
On Tuesday, the list of players who have been invited to the NFL Combine was released.
The combine is where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL teams to impress them enough to want to draft them at the NFL draft in April.
The combine can also have a massive effect on a player's “draft stock,” and this can rise or fall depending on their performance.
For the majority of the season, USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams has been touted to go first overall, but some believe that another player may overtake Williams as the number one pick.
ESPN's Myron Medcalf is among those who believe that Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels will be that player.
“I have a feeling that Jayden Daniels is going to leave the combine with a lot of No. 1 buzz.”
Medcalf believes that once the NFL combine has finished, the former LSU Tigers quarterback will challenge Caleb Williams for the number one pick.
Daniels had an incredible 2023 season, culminating in a Heisman Trophy. He threw for 3,800 yards and scored 40 touchdowns. He also recorded 1,100 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
His performances helped LSU become strong on offense. However, their defense was nowhere as strong, meaning that many LSU games last season were high-scoring affairs.
But could Daniels become the number one pick, and where could he end up?
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Where could Jayden Daniels be drafted?
Daniels is expected to be drafted in the top ten, according to NFL Draft Buzz. On the contrary, Pro Football Network predicts that Daniels will be drafted in the second round.
The uncertainty about where Daniels could go stems from the high draft stock of many quarterbacks in the class, including Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye. Daniels, while talented, does not receive adequate attention in comparison to the others.
But the NFL Combine could change everything, and Daniels could soon become a potential number-one pick. But which team could get him?
The New England Patriots have the No. 3 pick in the draft, and they may want to draft a quarterback to replace Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
If both the number one pick (the Chicago Bears) and the number two pick (the Washington Commanders) decide to draft Williams and Maye, the Patriots could pick Daniels.
The New York Giants are at a crossroads with quarterback Daniel Jones and may be in the market for his replacement. Daniels would be a strong replacement and could be drafted by the Giants, who have the sixth pick.