Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Ranked Ahead of 2023 No. 1 Pick Bryce Young

The Washington Commanders spent the No. 2 overall pick this year on a better quarterback than the No. 1 overall pick last year?

David Harrison | Jul 10, 2024

Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes a ball during an OTA workout at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

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If you have a team with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft it's likely fans and media will say they need to draft a quarterback. In the case of the Washington Commanders, however, they may have gotten a better one at No. 2 this year than they would have at No. 1 in the previous one.

Of course, revisionist history would have the Commanders select Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, not Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young who is the player the Carolina Panthers took in real life.

Still, the fact that Washington may have landed a better quarterback one year and one pick removed from Young being selected with the top pick in 2023 is interesting. And in the mind of BucsGameday's River Wells who recently took on the challenge of ranking the NFL's 32 projected starting quarterbacks, it's a reality we live in today with Daniels ranked No. 24 and Young No. 25.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels

"Doubters should rightfully be concerned about Jayden Daniels' slim frame and somewhat self-destructive tendencies as a runner,"
- River Wells, BucsGameday.com QB Rankings

"Doubters should rightfully be concerned about Jayden Daniels' slim frame and somewhat self-destructive tendencies as a runner, but he has a lot of athleticism and could tap into that in his rookie year," Wells says about Daniels, who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face in Week 1. "He also has a strong WR1 option in Terry McLaurin in Washington."

Concerns over Daniels' health stretch as far back as his days in Arizona State where some saw the athletic ability starting to grow, and worried about the quarterback's ability to withstand Power 5 college football abuse.

Now, heading to the NFL, the connections between Daniels and another mobile Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who had his career derailed by injuries is too close for comfort for many onlookers.

As for Young, his ranking coming in behind Daniels isn't directly tied to the Washington quarterback, but is a sign of where the Panthers sit in the NFL heirarchy today.

"Bryce Young's struggles with the Panthers last year could well be due to the extreme lack of talent around him, and while he's made some great throws in his first year as a Panther, a sub-60 completion percentage and just 2,877 yards passing will be unacceptable in his sophomore campaign," Wells said, and we'd be inclined to agree.

Looking at the rankings there are a few quarterbacks like Gardner Minshew of the Las Vegas Raiders, Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and even Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints we believe Daniels could rank ahead of by seasons end. If he stays healthy, and if that dangerous athletic ability translates to the NFL.

For those concerned there may be some bias from Wells, the quarterback he covers directly - Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield - ranked 20th.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

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• College Player Washington Fans Should Watch in 2024

• Jayden Daniels Grilled by Giants on Hard Knocks

• Commanders Have Two Top-Ranked LBs

• Washington History Brought Back in 2024 Uniform Update

Published Jul 10, 2024

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has covered the NFL since 2015 as a digital content creator in both written and audio media. He is the host of Locked On Commanders and a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His previous career was as a Military Working Dog Handler for the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.