The Washington Commanders hit gold when they selected Jayden Daniels second overall in the 2024 NFL draft, as long as the quarterback does not try to emulate Lamar Jackson.
That is the conclusion of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms. The two-time Super Bowl winner warned that Daniels “is not Lamar Jackson… the difference is LJ CAN TAKE PUNISHMENT WHEN HE RUNS…Jayden avoids the big hits..”
Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban also mentioned size and what a playing style similar to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could signify for Daniels’ NFL career.
Speaking with ESPN (h/t Awful Announcing), Saban cautioned pro defences, “You’re going to have to defend this guy like Lamar Jackson, because he’s fast. The only problem is that he’ll need to build on his stature and strength a little more so that he can play that style.”
On selection night, Daniels’ physicality was called into doubt more than once. Concerns of a more “weird” sort were also expressed concerning the player’s throwing arm.
Lamar Jackson Comparisons: Good and Bad for Jayden Daniels
During the pre-draft process, Daniels was constantly compared to two-time league MVP Jackson. These comparisons varied from generally good to outright negative.
One unnamed head coach told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “If you pick Daniels, you’re getting Lamar 2.0, but he’s further along as a passer than Lamar was when he first came out.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, one anonymous AFC executive told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that Daniels was “like a poor man’s Lamar (Jackson).
The executive was one of several persons Pelissero spoke with who expressed concern about Daniels’ lack of muscle. Although the Heisman Trophy winner weighed a “bulked-up 210 pounds” on his pro day at LSU, it wasn’t enough to allay concerns about his build.
For their part, the Commanders do not appear to be concerned about Daniels’ ability to withstand strikes at this level.
Commanders Have Jayden Daniels’ Plan.
General manager Adam Peters is aware of the situation, but he was quick to tell reporters that the Commanders have a strategy in place to protect their prospective franchise quarterback.
Speaking shortly after the selection on Thursday, April 25, Peters stated, “I think with any player, not just Jayden, you want to advise him to get down, you know? Not absorb the impact,” according to JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports. Peters also stated, “We’ll encourage him not to take those hits.”
Peters’ statements help to clarify the tough balancing act that the Commanders and Daniels must perform. Coaches cannot take away the 23-year-old’s dual-threat abilities, which earned him the No. 2 overall pick.
Not when Daniels’ rushing ability was a key reason Peters was so interested. The GM noted that Daniels “can make all the throws.” “But he can just steal your soul on third-and-10 when he’s running for 90 yards,” according to ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin.
Daniels won his fair share of ethereal awards during his final season at Baton Rouge, where he rushed for 1,134 yards. He’s a game-changing threat whenever he chooses to attack a rushing lane, but the Commanders can’t afford to have him sidelined every other week due to more bumps and bruises than any NFL quarterback should be expected to endure.
The comparison with the franchise is evident. Robert Griffin III was a Heisman Trophy winner chosen second overall in 2012 as a rushing phenom whose flair for the spectacular was frequently offset by the punishment inflicted by defences.
Griffin was never able to balance his game like Jackson did with the Ravens due to injuries. Daniels will now have the opportunity to use Jackson as his blueprint.
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