Washington Commanders Rookie Projected to Finish Behind Peers in NFL Stat Categories

In his first NFL season, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is projected to make quite the impact, but not as good as some.

Nov 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) drops back to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders left some people shaking their heads when they drafted LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick in the NFL Draft.

Those people, very likely, wanted to see the Commanders draft North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye while there were some who also coveted Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Even after trading quarterback Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks some wanted to see their favorite team select Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the second pick.

READ MORE: Another Washington Trade With the Chicago Bears?

So, to say the selection of Daniels isn't being embraced by all Washington loyalists would be an understatement. To say what to expect out of Daniels, or any rookie, at this point is pure speculation.

According to one ESPN speculation from senior writer Mike Clay, Daniels' performance is going to make McCarthy supporters feel angry and vindicated at the same time.

"Barring injury, Williams (the No. 1 overall draft pick), Daniels (second), Maye (third), McCarthy (10th) and Nix (12th) are going to play early and often as rookies, and it wouldn't be a surprise if all five are under center in Week 1," Clay writes while projecting McCarthy to finish ahead of Daniels in passing yards and touchdown passes. "There have been 24 quarterbacks who appeared in at least 14 games as a rookie since 2011, and that group averaged 3,433 passing yards and 18.4 touchdown passes as rookies. If we conservatively project 14-15 starts for this year's group (as noted above), the projected output seems to check out."

Nov 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) drops back to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

"There have been 24 quarterbacks who appeared in at least 14 games as a rookie since 2011, and that group averaged 3,433 passing yards and 18.4 touchdown passes as rookies."

- Mike Clay, ESPN Senior Writer

Of course, logic says that the performance of a player with one coaching staff and group of teammates would not directly transfer to another team with a different system of play and co-workers in the mix. But that's never stopped fans from pointing out when a three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback becomes an MVP with a different team, has it Chicago Bears fans?

Daniels is projected to finish ahead of his rookie peers on the ground, however, Clay estimates the quarterback will not only be the top rusher in his position but the second-best among all rookies in 2024. The projection is Daniels will rush for 577 yards and five touchdowns. So get your fantasy draft boards ready, folks.

READ MORE: Commanders Running Back Austin Ekeler Got Hitched

"Daniels is looking to become only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to rush for 575 yards as a rookie," Clay says. "That might suggest this projection is too high, but his elite rushing ability -- 488 career rushes for 3,990 yards and 34 TDs -- and strong likelihood of starting right out of the gate in Week 1 have him well positioned to get to the mark."

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