Washington Commanders Draft: LSU QB Jayden Daniels Best Match For Kliff Kingsbury?

Is pairing LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with Kliff Kingsbury a recipe for Commanders success?

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. / Scott Clause / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Washington Commanders are widely expected to draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and lately, a certain man has begun to stand out.

Jayden Daniels has become the man most often liked to the Commanders in mock drafts, and it is becoming increasingly apparent why he seems like the right man for the job. 

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. / Scott Clause / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Kliff Kingsbury helped Johnny Manziel win the 2012 Heisman Trophy as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and handpicked 2018 Heisman winner Kyler Murray as head coach of the Cardinals,” NFL.com writes. “I see the Commanders giving their new OC another dual-threat quarterback in Daniels, who just so happened to hoist the Heisman this past December.”

Hoisting the Heisman is one way to explain Daniels’ final season in Baton Rouge; another would be to describe him as someone who ran away from his peers as the season progressed. 

In 2024, Daniels looked like college football’s new Lamar Jackson. Back in 2018, many NFL front offices viewed Jackson with skepticism. Flash forward to 2024, and Jackson has not only proven himself to be a capable starting quarterback, but his two MVP trophies have established him as one of the top players in the entire NFL.

Last year, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions with a remarkable 72.2 completion percentage. In addition to displaying an elite arm, his rushing ability was video game-like. Daniels ran for 1,134 yards on 8.4 yards per carry and reached the end zone 10 times. 

Long gone are the days of a player like Jackson falling to the No. 32 pick. Daniels is viewed as a future superstar and an ideal fit for Kingsbury’s offense in Washington. 

New Commanders head coach Dan Quin is starting fresh in D.C., and it seems that Daniels is the ideal candidate for general manager Adam Peters to select as the next face of Washington’s franchise.