Commanders' Jayden Daniels Cracks Top 5 Rookie Debut List

Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels made his first appearance on Peter Schrager's Top 5 rookie performance list following his Week 1 showing.

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) os pressured by Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels might have not impressed some critics and experts with his debut performance. But for several others, he did, and did so despite enduring a tough loss.

Well, one of those NFL experts that was in favor of Daniels' debut performance, happened to be NFL sportscaster and analyst Peter Schrager, who ranked Daniels fourth in his weekly Top 5 rookie performance list to kick off the season.

On the NFL's Good Morning Football Show that took place on September 11, Schrager said say, "In a loss, and actually what ended up being a blowout, I still gotta throw my flowers at him. Jayden Daniels ran the ball effectively and was certainly the leader of a Washington offense that did have some success against Tampa Bay."

READ MORE: Commanders' Jayden Daniels Receives Average Week 1 Grade

Schrager makes a fair point with Daniels' run game, and prior to making this statement, revealed an intriguing stat about Daniels' first game as a Commander. Believe or not, Daniels has now the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in a Week 1 NFL debut performance with 88. In second place is Geno Smith with 47.

When evaluating Daniels' Week 1 output, the obvious 'blemishes' that critics will harp on is that he had zero passing touchdowns and was held to just 184 passing yards. Though that's certainly not ideal, it also highlights that Daniels played a smart game of football, took what the defense gave him, and made the right reads in the process.

He didn't force the success he was after and didn't conceded a single interception. Mind you, this was against a stout and seasoned Buccaneers defense that was applying pressure and shutting down his passing lanes.

Though Daniels certainly has plenty to improve on (he only played his first game now), he displayed plenty of promise against Tampa Bay. And following his next matchup with the New York Giants on Sunday, Daniels could certainly find himself back on Schrager's weekly rookie performance list, and maybe even at a higher spot.

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READ MORE: Commanders Coach Gives Update on Injured CB

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