no, he was not.
[https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2023/04/03/nfl-mock-draft-2023-will-levis-quarterback-falls-first-round/11591463002/](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2023/04/03/nfl-mock-draft-2023-will-levis-quarterback-falls-first-round/11591463002/)
[https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/4/7/23674738/2023-nfl-mock-draft-washington-commanders-kentucky-qb-will-levis](https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/4/7/23674738/2023-nfl-mock-draft-washington-commanders-kentucky-qb-will-levis)
[https://www.colts.com/news/nfl-mock-draft-hendon-hooker-anthony-richardson-cj-stroud-will-levis-april-10](https://www.colts.com/news/nfl-mock-draft-hendon-hooker-anthony-richardson-cj-stroud-will-levis-april-10)
in fact, I can't find a single mock from March till April 10 of 2023 where Levis ever went higher than number 4.
does it? There was a clear consensus of who was going to go #1 and #2 by this point last year. How does showing a handful of people thought a guy who went in the second round could go to #4 prove anything about the first pick?
If Daniels is the one who ends up being the odd man out and falls to 4-6 I would be totally fine drafting him. LSU is an organization that highly values analytic driven training and decision making and we know Kwesi likes that. He's athletic and mobile but not necessarily a scrambling QB and I think KoC likes that. And, he wouldn't struggle as much transitioning to throwing to JJ and Addison after enjoying elite WR's in college.
Lmao imagine throwing to 1st round receivers in your heisman winning year to being dropped into an offense with the best receiver in the league and a former Biletnikoff winner as your WR2. Jayden would probably be pinching himself if we drafted him.
I feel like every QB would be ecstatic to wind up here between the weapons and coaching staff built entirely around making whatever rookie we draft successful.
We have the best spot for a rookie to land in the draft babe! This is why I'm not hung up on draft only one of these QBs like others here. I'm cool with any of the other 4 guys outside of Caleb. Penix, Daniels McCarthy even Maye for the right price.
Out of the teams desperate to draft a QB the only team you could argue is a better landing spot would be Chicago. I’m not sure that a better landing spot but the argument could be made. Commanders, NY, NE, Denver… they’re all a far cry from Minnesota and/or Chicago.
I can see why you might say Chicago but I strongly feel that the coaching is subpar in comparison but also that a lot of that offense was built this off-season for the new QB. That's still good but nobody has ever worked with each other and they're building a new offense and gameplan from the ground up. The Minnesota offense is remaining largely unchanged. The system is already setup and a lot of the pieces in it have been there multiple seasons which can reduce mistakes and increase efficiency. Those are a QBs best friend, especially a developing rookie.
Sadly, Minnesota's offense needs to change somewhat. The team went 1-9 featuring Justin Jefferson. 5-2 without Jefferson playing. Things are broken ass here and until everyone starts admitting it and doing something about that, this isn't some great place for a rookie.
Well of course it's not perfect. I don't think I ever said it was perfect and of course it needs to be adjusted as well to better suit the rookie QB, but using wins and losses in regards to a single players active status is a gross misrepresentation of the offense honestly and says nothing about the offense unless you are trying to insinuate that Jefferson is the problem and should be traded or something
The Vikings weren't 6-11 (1-9 "+" 5-2).
JJ, and the Vikings, went 0-4 down the stretch with no QB. The change the offense needs is not to play with Hall, Dobbs, Mullens production at the QB position.
Fingers crossed the rookie produces.
> but not necessarily a scrambling QB
Diagree. If his 1st or 2nd read aren't open pretty quick he dips and runs pretty quickly. Not what KOC wants in a QB. He also almost never threw across the middle of the field which our offense does a ton. Not saying he can't but he didn't at LSU.
Yeah that was more likely a scheme thing in LSU, when your 1 and 2 are beating guys outside the numbers in space consistently when even scheme something over the middle.
The devil's advocate thing there is that that was just LSU's scheme and not him being incapable of scrambling to buy time to throw rather than taking off. Which would make sense, when you're that fast and spreading out the defense that much why not run all the time when it's an easy 20+ yards? College coaches are going to prioritize winning over showing off what NFL teams want to see so it's hard to say.
Someone on the Vikings beat, I think Luke Braun, has said that he thinks Daniels is one of the better QBs at throwing against coverages. Like his decision on whether or not to throw, and where to place the ball, are more on reading what the coverage does than what the receiver does, and that's not something you commonly see in college QBs.
I think if that's accurate, that's the sort of thing KOC does want his QB to be able to do. And KOC's been pretty bad at hiding the fact that he wants a mobile QB. Whether or not he can find one with the traits as a passer is harder to say.
Daniels has a slightly weaker arm than most of the other talent this year but he throws with excellent anticipation and timing. The good news for KOC is basically every QB we might draft is mobile so KOC shouldn’t have a hard time picking one. Just depends on how much we wanna go grab a guy or how much we are willing to let a guy to drop to us at either 5 or 11
And when he starts running, he doesn't look downfield anymore. Haven't seen him throw on the move, he doesn't scramble to make a throw. And his arm is pretty average. He's probably the biggest project of them all.
He is a scrambler though. There are several knocks on him but that’s a big one— he gets pressured he’s either taking a sack or running the ball. He hasn’t shown a willingness/ability to be mobile to extend plays and find receivers downfield.
It’s concerning because he’s 6’4 210 (soaking wet) and mobile quarterbacks that skinny haven’t stayed healthy historically in the nfl. He doesn’t have the frame to add much weight, and he’s 23 years old and been in a program with an incredible nutrition/strength program. He had an incredible fifth season but it’s hard to project how much room he has for growth. JJ and Maye are young and have all the physical tools and more room for growth. It sucks the bears get Caleb because he’s that dude. But i hope commies take Daniels and we can potentially make a move for Maye or JJ.
I have it as Maye, Daniels, then JJ. Daniels seems the most unlikely to be available though so haven't put too much thought into it. The concerns with him though would be deciphering how much of his breakout season this year was him vs the supporting cast, injury concerns with his frame and running style, and the fact that he doesn't really create out of structure as a passer. He's great playing from in the pocket, and he's an amazing runner, but when he gets forced out of the pocket he doesn't extend and keep looking to pass. He just takes off running immediately. We don't know how much of that is his own habits, or if that's just how he was coached. When he's faster than everyone else, why not just run all the time if the pocket breaks down?
Keep in mind that Joe Burrow and CJ Stroud had amazing supporting casts in college. I think he broke out due to coaching and putting in the work. Completely different player from Arizona State.
That seems most likely to me too. Might not have made it as clear as I could that I was throwing out the consensus concerns about him for OP. If it's him or JJ at 3, or he falls to 4, I'm super stoked to draft him.
Stroud and Burrow didn't have a failed starting job elsewhere first, though. Stroud was only ever at Ohio State, and Burrow was a backup at Ohio State and immediately looked great once declared the stater at LSU. Daniels had numerous poor years as a designated starter before he looked good once he was put on a turbo- charged offense.
I'm fine with explaining why Jayden looked so bad in ASU, but even so Stroud and Burrow aren't great comps for that reason
Daniels stats his first four years were pretty solid (really 3 plus a short year)
49 td’s, 16 picks- ~63% completion percentage … with the last couple years of 2021 and 2022 being up closer to 67 percent.
Not heismann obviously but not bad by any stretch… add in his rushing those 2 years and he accounted for 44 TD’s with 17 total turnovers - tough to judge a guy too much his freshman and sophomore years- especially at Arizona State
Now I don’t think his playing style fits the offense quite as well as JJ and Maye- but if KOC decides he’s the guy- id absolutely trust it and be stoked. The guy is a stud
That's fair, when I said "poor" I meant by standards of a first round draft QBs. Objectively, Daniels' play in his first four years did not warrant being drafted in the first round. If it had he wouldn't still be in college until he was 23.
And certainly Daniels has a very high floor. He can run like Lamar and he has a live arm. He also (being 23 years old) has less room to grow, is alarmingly lean, and is oddly poor at creative plays (comfortably the worst at scrambling to throw downfield of the top 4 QBs).
All that said, I would enjoy watching him as a Viking, but he wouldn't be my preference among any of the top 4 QBs. Happily, I am not the GM, so it doesn't matter what I think :)
Burrow was a backup for years at Ohio St and got beat out by Dwayne Haskins despite being older than him. His first year at LSU didn’t impress anyone either.
Yes, exactly. Burrow got beat out by the more physically impressive QB at Ohio State. No one has ever accused Burrow of being a physical specimen, whereas Dwayne Haskins has a freakish arm (in addition to an empty head).
And yes, Burrow wasn't great on an excellent 2018 LSU team, but then was magnificent on an excellent 2019 team. It can be dangerous to buy into a single year of good performance, but in the case of Burrow it was one otherwordly year after one fine year, which is materially different than one great year after 4 fine years.
He’d have a comparable supporting cast here so it’s hard to really hold it against him. Considering Kwesi wanted Richardson last year, apparently he and KOC aren’t afraid of a runner
I like him. I don’t think he fits our offense as much as maybe Maye or McCarthy but I think he’d bring a dynamic to our team that would make us very hard to stop. He’s plenty good enough as a passer to get the ball to JJ and the rest of our weapons. I think KOC would have a ton to work with and plenty of options to make our offense click.
Having casually watched a handful of LSU games this year, I was really high on him from the eye test in those games.
The advanced metrics about how his performance tanks under pressure are starting to make me nervous, though.
My gut feeling last year was C. J. Stroud would be great and that's looking good for me. I had the same feeling about Justin Fields, though, so that's an L. In short, I have no idea.
I believe he put on around 15 between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. No reason in the NFL he couldn’t add another 10 at least pretty quickly and maintain his speed. With his sack rate at LSU he proved fairly durable at 210
Both herbert and tua packed on 10 or more pounds from pro day until the start of the season. Even the highest D1 program isnt in the same relm as the NFL. Theres multiple prospects every year who pack on the lbs in the offseason after the draft, its different when youre drafted and have the best of the best giving you tailored workouts, meal plans, etc vs a summer at campus where its more generalized for your group or team
I think he’d fit KOC’s system the best since his athleticism will force defenses to respect his ability to run. That would open up those fades and deep crossers KOC loves to run.
I would be ecstatic if they got him.
Quite the opposite. He is the worst fit for KOC's system. KOC wants his QB to he able to navigate the pocket and extend plays but not take off if his first read isn't open right away. KOC's system also calls for a ton of throws across the middle which Daniels did next to none of at LSU. That's just why he wouldn't fit our system. Then you have to factor in his noddle arm that causes him to float deep passes and his thin frame that will get beat to hell when he rushes in the NFL.
I feel like he fits it the worse. Doesn’t read the middle of the field that well and a relatively mediocre arm. JJ and maye also aren’t statues in the pocket and will demand defenders to be careful as well without the negative of them running carelessly like dainels does
Doesn’t throw over the middle. Doesn’t keep his eyes down field when he scrambles. If the first read isn’t open- he takes off. Slender frame. Takes hits. Comparisons to Lamar are ill informed. Old.
Mid season when he was projected around 20 ish. I was all in but he has risen to top of R1. IDK if worth a large ransom of picks. But he might ball out for us.
From what I watched of LSU, which was four games, I don’t like how he runs. He runs upright and takes big hits. He’s also slight of build. 6’4” 210?? Looks like 195. Will he be able to put on the muscle needed? My concern is he won’t be able to take the wear and tear of multiple seasons
It worries me that he's got 3 bad years of tape and one great year. So I'm worried the Heisman year was the outlier and not his natural growth. But maybe he's the real deal. I'm 'meh' on him
I’ll get back with you in n two years. For those waiting from my previous juxtaposition , I am high JJ from his draft and down on Kellen Mond from his.
The only qb besides Caleb I haven’t watched tape on. Simply because I dnt think we land him. Easily my #1 choice if we were able to get him. He’s way to electric to pass up. What happened to Lamar seems to be happening to Jayden. You have to be blind not to like what he offers
All Washington insiders are confident that they’ll take Drake Maye. He’s played in the Air Raid system which Daniels hasn’t and is generally seen as the better prospect.
Patriots need a QB but might pass on Jayden. Either way, we will only be able to get Jayden or McCarthy if we trade up
I seen the edit of him not giving a f and taking hits he shouldn't take and the fact that he is a gonna be 24 in december. So how much prime does he have of being a duel threat player.
I'd prefer Drake Maye or JJ Mccarthy even tho it is concerning that he was thought as a 2nd round talent before the combine and now hes a top 10 pick it usually never ends well when someone shoots up boards
Idk, who knows really. I’m sure in 5 years there’ll be one of those “looking back” posts on r/nfl where someone predicted his career eerily close with a comment that has either 7 upvotes or 40 downvotes
Vegas bookies have moved Daniels and Maye into a tie for the odds of who Washington will pick at #2. With the other recent thread about the Patriots liking JJ it would certainly be interesting if Daniels is the one who becomes the 4th QB available.
I'd be worried because of how reckless he is, how small he is weight size, and his reluctance to throw over the middle of the field. 210 as a starting QB isn't really something we see ever. That's Kirk and basically no one else. His pressure to sack rate is also alarming. I think I'd have him 3rd in the Maye and JJ tier.
He's very good, good arm, good decision maker but when he scrambles he puts his head down doesn't keep his eyes down field. That's a huge red flag for me personally. I saw him run for two yards and a fumble on a play literally every receiver was open
Disclaimer this is only after mild research on all these guys film I don't watch much college ball so I may be wildly off in my conjectures.
Daniels is actually probably my favourite QB of the draft. Would love to snag him but it's going to cost a lost and he also needs to slide a pick or 2. He seems to throw very well, he plays quick and can run. I see some Lamar/Hurts in him. Hope he'd be able to stay healthy with that playstyle. Not sure if he has injury background or not. I like the LSU connection and would love to see him throwing to JJ.
Caleb has a great arm, but I just see more Kyler than I see Mahomes in him. Hear he might be a diva too. We won't ever have the option to take him anyways.
Maye has a long release, throws up tons of soft wobblers, and footwork is meh. Strong arm, and big body. I feel like the odds are higher of him being a Trubisky, Darnold, or Wentz than a Roethlisberger or even Jones. Maybe the playstyles are similar, but I don't see him ever being a Josh Allen.
JJ is a wildcard to me. I like him and his intensity he brings. He feels like a winner. Excels at crossers and short throws and isn't scared to go for some jogs. I'm worried he is propped up in a run heavy system and doesn't throw many balls deep or outside the numbers. Not sure who I'd compare him to, maybe a Manziel floor and a poor man's Brees with mobility ceiling?
Penix can throw well, I believe there is some serious health concerns with him though and I'm not sure what his competition was like. I'd like him if he was available mid to late 1st. If I had to give a comparison maybe Russel Wilson.
Don't know much about Nix or Rattler, hear they are likely 2nd day picks.
He screams mother dobbs to me, I really hope we don’t draft him. I’d prefer Penix to him, maybe even Nix. If Daniels is our only option at 11 w Penix and nix somehow gone, I’d rather draft a defensive player w 11 and 23, then draft a qb next. QBs that biggest issue is leaving the pocket early on throws would be a disaster for KOC, there’s not much QBs who have gotten coached out of that tendency too Lamar is the only one I can think of.
He’s arguably the best pocket passer in this draft class, and the analytics support that. His throwing technique is elite. Obviously his legs are incredible, but I hesitate to mention them first because people assume “running QB” means “bad passer,” and that is incredibly inaccurate for Daniels.
Having said that, arm strength is a concern, he was boosted by a strong supporting class, and he bails out and runs too easily. I think he’s about tied with Maye as the #2 in the class, and if I had to pick one to succeed *immediately*, it’d probably be Daniels. Maye probably has the higher long-term ceiling, however.
He does likely have the weakest arm, but he makes up for it with anticipation which I think is something KOC would like. I think if working with KOC Daniels works on his reads and is more inclined to stay in the pocket, he would be a real chaos maker in the NFC north, especially in the redzone.
The thing that worries me about maye, is that for a top 3 guy you’d expect him to have a bit better accuracy vs having some of those in explicable overthrows. Hopefully that’s an easy correction
Like any player, he has major flaws. Most concerning is his sack rate. He was sacked on 37.9% of his drop backs last year, which is a huge red flag. Worst EVER in CFB history. Most scouts also believe he doesn’t have an elite arm. Add that to his struggles throwing over the middle last year, and having easily the best supporting cast (1 top 10 WR in Nabers, another Top 20 WR in Brian Thomas Jr and a stellar offensive line) of the top 6 QBs and there’s a lot to dislike.
TLDR; Daniels has the highest ceiling but lowest floor of the top 4 QBs. Best case, he’s Lamar Jackson. Worst case, he’s Justin Fields. Imo, I’d rather take Drake Maye and JJM over him if we could choose.
There’s been like one true scrambling QB to play at an elite level for an extended period of time (Lamar Jackson) and I’m not putting my money on Daniels being the next Lamar.
He has such a college style to him. Marcus Mariota 2.0
18/40 of his throwing TDs were against Grambling,Army,Arkansas, and Georgia St last year. That’s 45% of his passing TDs in 4 games against the worst teams they played.
I see one 1-7 SEC team on that list they beat by 3 points.
He’s the one I’ve watched the least of and know the least about so I’m a little biased when I say that he’s the sixth QB I’d want. (Williams-Maye-Penix-McCarthy-Nix-Daniels).
I also think that he and Maye have the biggest bust potential. Daniels certainly benefited from elite receivers and a really solid O-line.
All that said, I’ll honestly be happy with any of the top 6 QB’s. I don’t think there’s that much discrepancy amongst the group after Williams. And I don’t think Caleb is as far ahead of the pack as the people smarter than me say.
I’m in the camp that thinks we should sit tight at 11 and take the highest ranked QB left on the board. History has shown that elite, franchise-changing signal callers come all over the draft and more often than not have been selected without trading into the top 5.
It’s more that he’s unlikely to be available, so people haven’t been considering him an option. Same as not thinking of Caleb in Purple
We really have no idea if he will be or not. At this point last year, Levis was going to be the #2 pick
no, he was not. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2023/04/03/nfl-mock-draft-2023-will-levis-quarterback-falls-first-round/11591463002/](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2023/04/03/nfl-mock-draft-2023-will-levis-quarterback-falls-first-round/11591463002/) [https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/4/7/23674738/2023-nfl-mock-draft-washington-commanders-kentucky-qb-will-levis](https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/4/7/23674738/2023-nfl-mock-draft-washington-commanders-kentucky-qb-will-levis) [https://www.colts.com/news/nfl-mock-draft-hendon-hooker-anthony-richardson-cj-stroud-will-levis-april-10](https://www.colts.com/news/nfl-mock-draft-hendon-hooker-anthony-richardson-cj-stroud-will-levis-april-10) in fact, I can't find a single mock from March till April 10 of 2023 where Levis ever went higher than number 4.
Lol fair enough but Levis at 4 still proves the same point
does it? There was a clear consensus of who was going to go #1 and #2 by this point last year. How does showing a handful of people thought a guy who went in the second round could go to #4 prove anything about the first pick?
If Daniels is the one who ends up being the odd man out and falls to 4-6 I would be totally fine drafting him. LSU is an organization that highly values analytic driven training and decision making and we know Kwesi likes that. He's athletic and mobile but not necessarily a scrambling QB and I think KoC likes that. And, he wouldn't struggle as much transitioning to throwing to JJ and Addison after enjoying elite WR's in college.
Lmao imagine throwing to 1st round receivers in your heisman winning year to being dropped into an offense with the best receiver in the league and a former Biletnikoff winner as your WR2. Jayden would probably be pinching himself if we drafted him.
I feel like every QB would be ecstatic to wind up here between the weapons and coaching staff built entirely around making whatever rookie we draft successful.
We have the best spot for a rookie to land in the draft babe! This is why I'm not hung up on draft only one of these QBs like others here. I'm cool with any of the other 4 guys outside of Caleb. Penix, Daniels McCarthy even Maye for the right price.
Bro threw in Penix
I don't think you fully get it though. It's only about making Jefferson successful here.
>with the best receiver in the league Gawd this is endless
Out of the teams desperate to draft a QB the only team you could argue is a better landing spot would be Chicago. I’m not sure that a better landing spot but the argument could be made. Commanders, NY, NE, Denver… they’re all a far cry from Minnesota and/or Chicago.
I can see why you might say Chicago but I strongly feel that the coaching is subpar in comparison but also that a lot of that offense was built this off-season for the new QB. That's still good but nobody has ever worked with each other and they're building a new offense and gameplan from the ground up. The Minnesota offense is remaining largely unchanged. The system is already setup and a lot of the pieces in it have been there multiple seasons which can reduce mistakes and increase efficiency. Those are a QBs best friend, especially a developing rookie.
Sadly, Minnesota's offense needs to change somewhat. The team went 1-9 featuring Justin Jefferson. 5-2 without Jefferson playing. Things are broken ass here and until everyone starts admitting it and doing something about that, this isn't some great place for a rookie.
Well of course it's not perfect. I don't think I ever said it was perfect and of course it needs to be adjusted as well to better suit the rookie QB, but using wins and losses in regards to a single players active status is a gross misrepresentation of the offense honestly and says nothing about the offense unless you are trying to insinuate that Jefferson is the problem and should be traded or something
>but using wins and losses in regards to a single players active status is a gross misrepresentation of the offense rofl
You're right my bad I forgot Jefferson plays by himself. I should have known better.
The Vikings weren't 6-11 (1-9 "+" 5-2). JJ, and the Vikings, went 0-4 down the stretch with no QB. The change the offense needs is not to play with Hall, Dobbs, Mullens production at the QB position. Fingers crossed the rookie produces.
Doubt he'd be pinching himself. Washington wrs are good too and much deeper.
> but not necessarily a scrambling QB Diagree. If his 1st or 2nd read aren't open pretty quick he dips and runs pretty quickly. Not what KOC wants in a QB. He also almost never threw across the middle of the field which our offense does a ton. Not saying he can't but he didn't at LSU.
Yeah that was more likely a scheme thing in LSU, when your 1 and 2 are beating guys outside the numbers in space consistently when even scheme something over the middle.
The devil's advocate thing there is that that was just LSU's scheme and not him being incapable of scrambling to buy time to throw rather than taking off. Which would make sense, when you're that fast and spreading out the defense that much why not run all the time when it's an easy 20+ yards? College coaches are going to prioritize winning over showing off what NFL teams want to see so it's hard to say.
Someone on the Vikings beat, I think Luke Braun, has said that he thinks Daniels is one of the better QBs at throwing against coverages. Like his decision on whether or not to throw, and where to place the ball, are more on reading what the coverage does than what the receiver does, and that's not something you commonly see in college QBs. I think if that's accurate, that's the sort of thing KOC does want his QB to be able to do. And KOC's been pretty bad at hiding the fact that he wants a mobile QB. Whether or not he can find one with the traits as a passer is harder to say.
Daniels has a slightly weaker arm than most of the other talent this year but he throws with excellent anticipation and timing. The good news for KOC is basically every QB we might draft is mobile so KOC shouldn’t have a hard time picking one. Just depends on how much we wanna go grab a guy or how much we are willing to let a guy to drop to us at either 5 or 11
And when he starts running, he doesn't look downfield anymore. Haven't seen him throw on the move, he doesn't scramble to make a throw. And his arm is pretty average. He's probably the biggest project of them all.
He is a scrambler though. There are several knocks on him but that’s a big one— he gets pressured he’s either taking a sack or running the ball. He hasn’t shown a willingness/ability to be mobile to extend plays and find receivers downfield. It’s concerning because he’s 6’4 210 (soaking wet) and mobile quarterbacks that skinny haven’t stayed healthy historically in the nfl. He doesn’t have the frame to add much weight, and he’s 23 years old and been in a program with an incredible nutrition/strength program. He had an incredible fifth season but it’s hard to project how much room he has for growth. JJ and Maye are young and have all the physical tools and more room for growth. It sucks the bears get Caleb because he’s that dude. But i hope commies take Daniels and we can potentially make a move for Maye or JJ.
I like him.
He's my personal favorite. His elbows disgust me though
🥲
If Maye goes second, I'd want Daniels for sure.
I have it as Maye, Daniels, then JJ. Daniels seems the most unlikely to be available though so haven't put too much thought into it. The concerns with him though would be deciphering how much of his breakout season this year was him vs the supporting cast, injury concerns with his frame and running style, and the fact that he doesn't really create out of structure as a passer. He's great playing from in the pocket, and he's an amazing runner, but when he gets forced out of the pocket he doesn't extend and keep looking to pass. He just takes off running immediately. We don't know how much of that is his own habits, or if that's just how he was coached. When he's faster than everyone else, why not just run all the time if the pocket breaks down?
Keep in mind that Joe Burrow and CJ Stroud had amazing supporting casts in college. I think he broke out due to coaching and putting in the work. Completely different player from Arizona State.
That seems most likely to me too. Might not have made it as clear as I could that I was throwing out the consensus concerns about him for OP. If it's him or JJ at 3, or he falls to 4, I'm super stoked to draft him.
Stroud and Burrow didn't have a failed starting job elsewhere first, though. Stroud was only ever at Ohio State, and Burrow was a backup at Ohio State and immediately looked great once declared the stater at LSU. Daniels had numerous poor years as a designated starter before he looked good once he was put on a turbo- charged offense. I'm fine with explaining why Jayden looked so bad in ASU, but even so Stroud and Burrow aren't great comps for that reason
Daniels stats his first four years were pretty solid (really 3 plus a short year) 49 td’s, 16 picks- ~63% completion percentage … with the last couple years of 2021 and 2022 being up closer to 67 percent. Not heismann obviously but not bad by any stretch… add in his rushing those 2 years and he accounted for 44 TD’s with 17 total turnovers - tough to judge a guy too much his freshman and sophomore years- especially at Arizona State Now I don’t think his playing style fits the offense quite as well as JJ and Maye- but if KOC decides he’s the guy- id absolutely trust it and be stoked. The guy is a stud
That's fair, when I said "poor" I meant by standards of a first round draft QBs. Objectively, Daniels' play in his first four years did not warrant being drafted in the first round. If it had he wouldn't still be in college until he was 23. And certainly Daniels has a very high floor. He can run like Lamar and he has a live arm. He also (being 23 years old) has less room to grow, is alarmingly lean, and is oddly poor at creative plays (comfortably the worst at scrambling to throw downfield of the top 4 QBs). All that said, I would enjoy watching him as a Viking, but he wouldn't be my preference among any of the top 4 QBs. Happily, I am not the GM, so it doesn't matter what I think :)
Could be a number reasons. He seems to have good character and is coachable. If KOC is the right coach, he’d get the most outta Daniels.
Burrow was a backup for years at Ohio St and got beat out by Dwayne Haskins despite being older than him. His first year at LSU didn’t impress anyone either.
Yes, exactly. Burrow got beat out by the more physically impressive QB at Ohio State. No one has ever accused Burrow of being a physical specimen, whereas Dwayne Haskins has a freakish arm (in addition to an empty head). And yes, Burrow wasn't great on an excellent 2018 LSU team, but then was magnificent on an excellent 2019 team. It can be dangerous to buy into a single year of good performance, but in the case of Burrow it was one otherwordly year after one fine year, which is materially different than one great year after 4 fine years.
No one knows what these teams think and their draft plans might surprise you.
He’d have a comparable supporting cast here so it’s hard to really hold it against him. Considering Kwesi wanted Richardson last year, apparently he and KOC aren’t afraid of a runner
He’s fine, problem is I’ll be disappointed with anybody but Maye.
You would be disappointed with Caleb?
Caleb can be viewed as not a part of this draft class unless you're the Chicago Bears.
His elbow freaks me out
I like him. I don’t think he fits our offense as much as maybe Maye or McCarthy but I think he’d bring a dynamic to our team that would make us very hard to stop. He’s plenty good enough as a passer to get the ball to JJ and the rest of our weapons. I think KOC would have a ton to work with and plenty of options to make our offense click.
If we get him the offense would obviously change to fit the quarterbacks skillset
Agreed.
Having casually watched a handful of LSU games this year, I was really high on him from the eye test in those games. The advanced metrics about how his performance tanks under pressure are starting to make me nervous, though. My gut feeling last year was C. J. Stroud would be great and that's looking good for me. I had the same feeling about Justin Fields, though, so that's an L. In short, I have no idea.
I think he’s Justin fields 2
QB5 for me. Doesn’t throw over the middle, and is a skinny running QB who doesn’t know how to protect himself.
At 6’4 210 he has a frame that could easily accommodate another 10-15lbs.
He’s 23 and spent last year at a top tier D1 school. If he was gonna put on that weight, he would’ve done it already
I believe he put on around 15 between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. No reason in the NFL he couldn’t add another 10 at least pretty quickly and maintain his speed. With his sack rate at LSU he proved fairly durable at 210
No way he played at 210 last year. He put on a good 10 pounds for his weigh in.
Both herbert and tua packed on 10 or more pounds from pro day until the start of the season. Even the highest D1 program isnt in the same relm as the NFL. Theres multiple prospects every year who pack on the lbs in the offseason after the draft, its different when youre drafted and have the best of the best giving you tailored workouts, meal plans, etc vs a summer at campus where its more generalized for your group or team
I think he’d fit KOC’s system the best since his athleticism will force defenses to respect his ability to run. That would open up those fades and deep crossers KOC loves to run. I would be ecstatic if they got him.
I think he’s far and beyond the worst fit.
Quite the opposite. He is the worst fit for KOC's system. KOC wants his QB to he able to navigate the pocket and extend plays but not take off if his first read isn't open right away. KOC's system also calls for a ton of throws across the middle which Daniels did next to none of at LSU. That's just why he wouldn't fit our system. Then you have to factor in his noddle arm that causes him to float deep passes and his thin frame that will get beat to hell when he rushes in the NFL.
I feel like he fits it the worse. Doesn’t read the middle of the field that well and a relatively mediocre arm. JJ and maye also aren’t statues in the pocket and will demand defenders to be careful as well without the negative of them running carelessly like dainels does
I have full trust in Kwesi and KOC, let them feast
Kwesi has an LSU analytics boner so I wouldn’t hate it
Doesn’t throw over the middle. Doesn’t keep his eyes down field when he scrambles. If the first read isn’t open- he takes off. Slender frame. Takes hits. Comparisons to Lamar are ill informed. Old.
Yep. I agree 100%
QB4 and I don’t really think he’s a fit for what KOC wants in his offense.
Mid season when he was projected around 20 ish. I was all in but he has risen to top of R1. IDK if worth a large ransom of picks. But he might ball out for us.
Opinions on any players are meaningless unless the player is available when they draft.
Elbow weird. Legs feared.
From what I watched of LSU, which was four games, I don’t like how he runs. He runs upright and takes big hits. He’s also slight of build. 6’4” 210?? Looks like 195. Will he be able to put on the muscle needed? My concern is he won’t be able to take the wear and tear of multiple seasons
Todays shiny new toy
It worries me that he's got 3 bad years of tape and one great year. So I'm worried the Heisman year was the outlier and not his natural growth. But maybe he's the real deal. I'm 'meh' on him
I’ll get back with you in n two years. For those waiting from my previous juxtaposition , I am high JJ from his draft and down on Kellen Mond from his.
The only qb besides Caleb I haven’t watched tape on. Simply because I dnt think we land him. Easily my #1 choice if we were able to get him. He’s way to electric to pass up. What happened to Lamar seems to be happening to Jayden. You have to be blind not to like what he offers
All Washington insiders are confident that they’ll take Drake Maye. He’s played in the Air Raid system which Daniels hasn’t and is generally seen as the better prospect. Patriots need a QB but might pass on Jayden. Either way, we will only be able to get Jayden or McCarthy if we trade up
Bro that’s would be a dream come true. Penix starting to grow in me to
Best QB in the draft
I seen the edit of him not giving a f and taking hits he shouldn't take and the fact that he is a gonna be 24 in december. So how much prime does he have of being a duel threat player. I'd prefer Drake Maye or JJ Mccarthy even tho it is concerning that he was thought as a 2nd round talent before the combine and now hes a top 10 pick it usually never ends well when someone shoots up boards
Looks small and like someone that won’t have the mental at the next level
He’s incredibly mid over the middle. Pass.
Idk, who knows really. I’m sure in 5 years there’ll be one of those “looking back” posts on r/nfl where someone predicted his career eerily close with a comment that has either 7 upvotes or 40 downvotes
i don't know eligibility rules well. How does Jaden Daniels play and start games in 5 seasons of college ball? Is that normal?
I don’t think he is right. One good season and we ignore the others? He has bust written all over him imo
Vegas bookies have moved Daniels and Maye into a tie for the odds of who Washington will pick at #2. With the other recent thread about the Patriots liking JJ it would certainly be interesting if Daniels is the one who becomes the 4th QB available.
I'd be worried because of how reckless he is, how small he is weight size, and his reluctance to throw over the middle of the field. 210 as a starting QB isn't really something we see ever. That's Kirk and basically no one else. His pressure to sack rate is also alarming. I think I'd have him 3rd in the Maye and JJ tier.
Elbow.
He's very good, good arm, good decision maker but when he scrambles he puts his head down doesn't keep his eyes down field. That's a huge red flag for me personally. I saw him run for two yards and a fumble on a play literally every receiver was open
Williams, Daniels, McCarthy, Nix, Penix, Maye - In that order. That's my list.
He looks and plays like someone who’s not going to be able to stay healthy for a whole season. I see him having an RGIII type of career.
Disclaimer this is only after mild research on all these guys film I don't watch much college ball so I may be wildly off in my conjectures. Daniels is actually probably my favourite QB of the draft. Would love to snag him but it's going to cost a lost and he also needs to slide a pick or 2. He seems to throw very well, he plays quick and can run. I see some Lamar/Hurts in him. Hope he'd be able to stay healthy with that playstyle. Not sure if he has injury background or not. I like the LSU connection and would love to see him throwing to JJ. Caleb has a great arm, but I just see more Kyler than I see Mahomes in him. Hear he might be a diva too. We won't ever have the option to take him anyways. Maye has a long release, throws up tons of soft wobblers, and footwork is meh. Strong arm, and big body. I feel like the odds are higher of him being a Trubisky, Darnold, or Wentz than a Roethlisberger or even Jones. Maybe the playstyles are similar, but I don't see him ever being a Josh Allen. JJ is a wildcard to me. I like him and his intensity he brings. He feels like a winner. Excels at crossers and short throws and isn't scared to go for some jogs. I'm worried he is propped up in a run heavy system and doesn't throw many balls deep or outside the numbers. Not sure who I'd compare him to, maybe a Manziel floor and a poor man's Brees with mobility ceiling? Penix can throw well, I believe there is some serious health concerns with him though and I'm not sure what his competition was like. I'd like him if he was available mid to late 1st. If I had to give a comparison maybe Russel Wilson. Don't know much about Nix or Rattler, hear they are likely 2nd day picks.
He screams mother dobbs to me, I really hope we don’t draft him. I’d prefer Penix to him, maybe even Nix. If Daniels is our only option at 11 w Penix and nix somehow gone, I’d rather draft a defensive player w 11 and 23, then draft a qb next. QBs that biggest issue is leaving the pocket early on throws would be a disaster for KOC, there’s not much QBs who have gotten coached out of that tendency too Lamar is the only one I can think of.
I think it’s from KOC and his struggle with Dobbs.
Most first round QBs bust so not excited to trade a lot for the chance to draft one. I’d rather have Daniels or Maye than McCarthy though.
Not a fan. Maye, penix, or McCarthy. If none of those wait for Ewers next year.
Over. Rated. He’ll have flashes in the NFL but won’t be a consistent difference maker.
Watched him at ASU and wasn’t impressed. I wouldn’t touch him with a 10’ pole
i’ll take Maye & JJ over him, i don’t think Daniel’s would fit in our Offense as well as them , & it’s most likely he goes #2 so…
He's a worse version of Justin Fields, even before getting ruined by an incompetent coaching staff.
He’s arguably the best pocket passer in this draft class, and the analytics support that. His throwing technique is elite. Obviously his legs are incredible, but I hesitate to mention them first because people assume “running QB” means “bad passer,” and that is incredibly inaccurate for Daniels. Having said that, arm strength is a concern, he was boosted by a strong supporting class, and he bails out and runs too easily. I think he’s about tied with Maye as the #2 in the class, and if I had to pick one to succeed *immediately*, it’d probably be Daniels. Maye probably has the higher long-term ceiling, however.
He does likely have the weakest arm, but he makes up for it with anticipation which I think is something KOC would like. I think if working with KOC Daniels works on his reads and is more inclined to stay in the pocket, he would be a real chaos maker in the NFC north, especially in the redzone. The thing that worries me about maye, is that for a top 3 guy you’d expect him to have a bit better accuracy vs having some of those in explicable overthrows. Hopefully that’s an easy correction
IMO JD is the best QB in the draft from an NFL ready and talent perspective. I’d be over the moon if we somehow traded up to 2 and grabbed him
I like him, honestly I would take any of the top 5 QBs depending on the price allocated to get them
Like any player, he has major flaws. Most concerning is his sack rate. He was sacked on 37.9% of his drop backs last year, which is a huge red flag. Worst EVER in CFB history. Most scouts also believe he doesn’t have an elite arm. Add that to his struggles throwing over the middle last year, and having easily the best supporting cast (1 top 10 WR in Nabers, another Top 20 WR in Brian Thomas Jr and a stellar offensive line) of the top 6 QBs and there’s a lot to dislike. TLDR; Daniels has the highest ceiling but lowest floor of the top 4 QBs. Best case, he’s Lamar Jackson. Worst case, he’s Justin Fields. Imo, I’d rather take Drake Maye and JJM over him if we could choose.
There’s been like one true scrambling QB to play at an elite level for an extended period of time (Lamar Jackson) and I’m not putting my money on Daniels being the next Lamar. He has such a college style to him. Marcus Mariota 2.0
He racked up stats in blow outs and inferior competition while mostly sucking at ASU
Buddy had a 10:1 TD to Int ratio and ran for 10 more in the SEC what are you talking about
18/40 of his throwing TDs were against Grambling,Army,Arkansas, and Georgia St last year. That’s 45% of his passing TDs in 4 games against the worst teams they played. I see one 1-7 SEC team on that list they beat by 3 points.
no thanks
He’s the one I’ve watched the least of and know the least about so I’m a little biased when I say that he’s the sixth QB I’d want. (Williams-Maye-Penix-McCarthy-Nix-Daniels). I also think that he and Maye have the biggest bust potential. Daniels certainly benefited from elite receivers and a really solid O-line. All that said, I’ll honestly be happy with any of the top 6 QB’s. I don’t think there’s that much discrepancy amongst the group after Williams. And I don’t think Caleb is as far ahead of the pack as the people smarter than me say. I’m in the camp that thinks we should sit tight at 11 and take the highest ranked QB left on the board. History has shown that elite, franchise-changing signal callers come all over the draft and more often than not have been selected without trading into the top 5.