The debate over whether LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was determined to play for the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall pick appeared to conclude on Friday. Washington Commanders at the No. 2 overall seemingly came to an end on Friday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter took back his previous comments on Thursday suggesting that Daniels might be interested in playing for a team other than the Commanders, who possess the No. 2 overall pick.
The confusion arose from the Commanders organizing a group visit for four quarterbacks including Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.
Daniels’ agent, Ron Butler, expressed support for criticism of the Commanders’ decision to host all four quarterbacks at once, which led to reports of Daniels losing interest in Washington.
“… I think (Daniels) thought that he was going to get more face time there than he actually did,” Schefter said on Friday. “It didn’t work out exactly that way, but Jayden Daniels knows that he can’t control where he goes in the draft and his opinion doesn’t matter where he wants to go. It’s all up to the team. Right now, Jayden Daniels is prepared to go wherever he’s drafted. Most people still believe it continues to be number two to the Washington Commanders. That still looks to be the favorite spot, but because of some speculation this past week, people wondering whether he would go, whether they would take him.
“The fact of the matter is, Jayden Daniels knows that he’s not a free agent here, he has to go where he’s drafted and if it does turn out to be Washington, as a lot of people still believe, he’s prepared to go to Washington and be a Commander and try to be the face of the franchise that many coaches believe he will be.”
Few Rookies Have Been Able to Choose Teams
Daniels attempting to avoid playing for a specific team would have been unprecedented for a No. 2 overall pick. It’s almost unprecedented for a No. 1 pick.
Twice in modern NFL history, quarterbacks slated to be selected No. 1 overall forced the hand of the teams that wanted them at that spot.
In 1983, Stanford’s John Elway stated he would not play for the Baltimore Colts, who selected him at No. 1 then traded him to the Denver Broncos.
In 2004, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning said he would not play for the San Diego Chargers, who selected him at No. 1 then traded him to the New York Giants.
In 1986, Auburn running back Bo Jackson told the team with the No. 1 pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that he would not play for them. In that case, the Buccaneers still selected Jackson and lost his rights one year later.
Daniels Could Change Fortunes for Commanders
Daniels, 6-foot-4 210 pounds, was the second Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to come out of LSU in the last five years, following 2019 winner Joe Burrow.
“With five seasons of starting experience under his belt, Daniels possesses a rare blend of playmaking talent and command from the pocket,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. “He’s tall but slender, so there will be concerns about durability, considering how often he ran in college. However, teams must also recognize that he has no issues sitting in the pocket and working through progressions as a platform thrower with good mechanics and footwork.”
