AFC executive takes subtle dig at Jayden Daniels ahead of NFL Draft 2024: "Poor man's Lamar Jackson"
Jayden Daniels declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after a stellar season with LSU. The 23-year-old quarterback recently won the Heisman Trophy and is projected to be a top-three pick in the draft, which is less than a week away.
Daniels is a dual-threat quarterback and is suited for the modern game. However, the fact that he declined to get measured at the NFL Combine gave rise to doubts about his physique. Recently an AFC executive talked about the LSU star and labeled him as 'a poor man's Lamar Jackson'.
He also highlighted how Daniels' physique is a concern, but the athleticism possessed by the quarterback could help him to excel in the league. As per NFL.com, the AFC executive said:
"This is like a poor man's Lamar Jackson to me. The biggest thing I always worried about (Daniels) is fu**ing skinny. He didn't take a picture at the combine, he didn't weigh in at the combine, that's all by fu**ing design. He knows he's fu**ing skinny. You worry about him getting hurt."
The executive further complimented Daniels and added: "But because of his athleticism, he's got a chance. I know they scaled the offense back (initially) for him at LSU. Now, I think they put more on him. He's quick to run. His eyes are down. He gets fast and antsy on you in the pocket. And once he pulls that motherf***er down, he ain't coming back up."
As mentioned above Jayden Daniels did not take measurements at the combine, but on his pro day, he weighed 210 pounds and stood six-foot-three.
During his Heisman-winning season, he threw for 3812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just four interceptions in 12 games. The LSU product also rushed for 1134 yards and 10 touchdowns on 135 carries, averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
Jayden Daniels draft projection: Which team is likely to pick LSU QB?
As per reports, Jayden Daniels is most likely to get drafted by the Washington Commanders with the second overall pick. The franchise has made it clear that they will keep their pick, and based on the entire draft process, Daniels is ahead of Drake Maye on many evaluations.
The Commanders have traded away Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks. Although they signed Marcus Mariota, it seems like Daniels will be their starting quarterback in Week 1.
Dan Quinn became the new coach of the Commanders this offseason, so it will be interesting to see how the franchise fares in the coming years.