Commanders select QB Jayden Daniels with No. 2 pick in NFL draft

Moments after the Chicago Bears as expected took USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the top pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, the Washington Commanders added their own signal-caller with the No. 2 pick — LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

Decked out in a baby blue suit and sporting stylish shades, Washington’s new quarterback hugged his family before embracing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the stage.

The reigning SEC Player of the Year strutted to the stage in a Washington hat and flashed a smile while holding a Commanders jersey at the podium. On the red carpet, he said he was“excited to live my childhood dream.

“I’m happy and I’m blessed. Just believe in me,” Daniels said after the pick. “It’s gonna be a grind but I’m a hard worker.”

Despite being the betting favorite to join Washington, Daniels said he wasn’t sure whether he’d get the call from general manager Adam Peters on draft night. 

“They did a pretty good job not showing their hand,” the California native said. “But I was pretty confident about my ability to fit in.”

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye went third to the New England Patriots while Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected fourth by the Arizona Cardinals.

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 after dazzling voters with his dynamic rushing ability and accuracy on deep throws. The LSU product set career highs with 3,812 passing yards, 1,123 rushing yards and 50 total touchdowns. The transfer from Arizona State also protected the ball, throwing just four interceptions in his final collegiate season.

The quarterback’s slim build has raised concerns about durability throughout the draft process. Daniels weighed in at 210 pounds at his pro day this spring. At that weight, he would be one of the lightest passers in the league. In college, he steadfastly refused to slide, and he took some big hits and gave up some costly turnovers.

“The question is the durability with the amount of contact he takes. He’s had a concussion, an ankle [injury],” an unnamed league executive told NFL Network. “He needs to add some body armor.”

Daniels’ path to Washington has included some drama, including rumors that the All-American didn’t want to play for the Commanders.

General manager Adam Peters and his staff took Daniels and other top prospects to Topgolf during a shared predraft visit.

“It’s very beneficial to see everybody in a more relaxed environment,” Peters said. “They all got a lot of time individually … got a great blend of that and then working with everybody together in one environment.”

But the group activity drew criticism from some fans and Daniels’ agent, who liked multiple posts on X questioning the group outing.

“It didn’t seem to go over too well with the agent for Jayden Daniels, Ron Butler, who sounded off on social media last night that he didn’t seem particularly pleased with the process,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “Get Up.” “I think Jayden Daniels thought it would be a visit with just him meeting with the Commanders. … But the Commanders essentially opened up the process.”

Despite the media speculation, Daniels said he’d “100%” be willing to join the Commanders. The dual-threat quarterback praised Peters and new coach Dan Quinn during his first call with reporters.

“AP, he’s a dude. I’m very confident in him to get this thing turned around. I’m excited to see what the future holds,” Daniels said. “DQ is a great guy, excited to be around him … and the offensive staff’s track record speaks for itself.”

Washington has had mixed results when picking from the No. 2 spot. Quarterback Robert Griffin III was the No. 2 pick in 2012, as was defensive end Chase Young in 2020.

Both players had hugely impactful first seasons, and both earned Rookie of the Year honors.

But injuries short-circuited any hopes of Griffin and Young becoming the kinds of keystone franchise players their rookie seasons promised.

Neither signed a second contract with the team.

The franchise released Griffin in 2016 after he failed to live up to his draft status. Young was traded to the 49ers in October for a third-round pick after tearing his ACL with Washington in 2021.

And the team’s history is littered with first-round quarterbacks who failed to meet expectations.

Griffin’s career started off promising before he became a journeyman backup. Dwayne Haskins, a 2019 first-round pick, struggled in two seasons with the Commanders. The Ohio State product recorded 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions before the team waived him in December 2020.

The list goes on: Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey, Heath Shuler —  the Commanders have seen plenty of first-round disappointments. Washington’s newest quarterback will hope to break a tradition of underachievement.

Peters has his own mixed track record at quarterback. The former assistant general manager of the San Francisco 49ers was part of a front office that selected quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in 2021.

San Francisco traded a haul to move up and select the North Dakota State product, despite concerns about a lack of experience. The move was a disaster for a franchise with two Super Bowl appearances in the last five years.

Lance never became a regular starter for the 49ers, starting just four games in two seasons. The team traded him to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. Peters and company were saved when they selected Brock Purdy with the final pick in the 2022 draft. Mr. Irrelevant became an unexpected star, leading the league in passer rating last season.

“It’s really hard,” Peters said of quarterback evaluations. “You probably learn more from the bad experiences than the good experiences but you learn from all of them.”

The general manager has said his coaches, including Kingsbury, are ready to develop a young quarterback. Kingsbury garnered a reputation as a quarterback guru from his work with Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams.

The former Arizona Cardinals head coach drafted Murray in 2019. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner was named Rookie of the Year and made two Pro Bowl appearances under Kingsbury. The long-time offensive coach said success for his new quarterback will show up off the field.

“You want that player to be the hardest worker on your team,” Kingsbury said in February. “You want them to lead those guys each and every day when he shows up in the building, you want them to lift the building up.”

On Thursday night, Daniels said he wanted fans to know what kind of player their team drafted.

“A competitor. A leader. Someone who wants to win at all costs,” the LSU product said. “We’ll get this thing turned around. I’m willing to work and put everything on the line.”