Washington Commanders 'Leaning' LSU QB Jayden Daniels in Draft, Says Insider

LSU star Jayden Daniels may be the Washington Commanders' quarterback of choice in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) as the LSU Tigers take on Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

The Washington Commanders have just under three weeks to finalize their decision with the 2024 NFL Draft's No. 2 overall selection.

It's all but certain Washington will add a quarterback - the question is whether it's North Carolina's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels or Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, with the fate of the pick playing a considerable part in the Commanders' future under head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters.

So, who's it going to be?

NBC Sports Commanders insider JP Finlay believes Daniels has an edge as things stand.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) as the LSU Tigers take on Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

"I want to be crystal clear that I don't know, and nobody does," Finlay told NBC Sports Boston. "But it seems they're leaning Jayden Daniels. If you think about the type of player you can get there, the immediate high ceiling he seems to offer. Repeatedly, Quinn and Peters have talked about how important mobility is in the modern game.

"Then if you factor in Josh Harris as the new owner has said he wants to model his organization like the Ravens - nobody's Lamar Jackson, but certainly Jayden Daniels can run. I think that's the lean."

Daniels completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions this past season while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 8.4 yards per attempt.

He brought considerable hardware back to Baton Rouge, with the Heisman being followed by the Maxwell, Davey O'Brien, AP Player of the Year and many others.

As one of college football's best rushing quarterbacks, Daniels' mobility is a definite positive in his scouting report - and for Finlay, the similarity in athleticism between Daniels and newly signed backup signal caller Marcus Mariota serves as another hint.

"When they signed Mariota, to me it meant ... they're leaning Daniels, because if you're going to build an offense around somebody, you could at least have a backup that could run the same offense," Finlay said.

Be it playstyle or draft slot, Finlay sees lots of resemblances between Daniels and Mariota and has begun connecting the dots.

"It might be a bridge too far to say definitively like, oh, Mariota equals Daniels, but if Daniels goes No. 2, they're both going to be Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks that went No. 2 overall," Finlay said. "Daniels, I think, is a really refined pocket passer, but they both can run and that's just a lot of similarities to me."

Still, while Daniels may be the early lean, he's far from cemented as the pick.

Finlay noted the past of Peters, who was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 when many thought they traded up for Trey Lance, then pivoted to Mac Jones, then watched as they ultimately selected Lance.

Peters-led staff's don't let much information out, and for that reason, Finlay said he's not writing anything in marker until draft day - and he remains insistent Washington could spurn Daniels when the first round begins April 25 in Detroit.

"I think Drake Maye is certainly in play," Finlay said. "I think J.J. McCarthy might be in play."

Still, Daniels appears to be the favorite - though the picture may continue to shift in the weeks leading into the draft's opening frame.