What is Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels' Superpower?

Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn spoke about his new quarterback Jayden Daniels the day after drafting him with the No. 2 overall selection.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels 5 runs the ball as the LSU Tigers take on Georgia State in Tiger Stadium. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

ASHBURN, Va. -- As a collective, the Washington Commanders fanbase is ready to welcome quarterback Jayden Daniels in hopes he is the first player drafted in a process that will ultimately lead to a historic turnaround for the franchise.

The Commanders haven't had a franchise quarterback in quite some time. Days of Doug Williams and Mark Rypien have been replaced by a rotating door of passers supplemented by short flashes of hope in the forms of Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.

Like all four of those guys, and even the ones that have come outside of that small group, Washington hasn't been devoid of quarterback talent, but there was always something missing.

Call it maturity, talent to match mentality, or maybe just the lack of superpowers. Whatever it was, head coach Dan Quinn believes he and general manager Adam Peters now have the right man for the job.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels 5 runs the ball as the LSU Tigers take on Georgia State in Tiger Stadium. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

"I think one of his superpowers is the ability to escape and make a good play," Quinn said of his new quarterback. "That could be in the pocket, that could be out of the pocket, but knowing that that is there, that can give you some nightmares as a coordinator. Because not only do you have to have coverage in disguise, but you better be really in tune because just a player, as a dual threat, (he) can hurt you with his legs too. So I'm very excited that a number of (defensive coordinators) are spending extra hours on sleepless nights here in the off-season."

Quinn is right about one thing, every defensive coordinator in the NFC East Division and on the Commanders' schedule in 2024 just found out their job is a bit more complicated than it was before.

Like offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury before him, Quinn's emphasis on viewing his offense through the lens of a defensive coordinator is intended to build a Washington attack that no coordinator on the planet would want to face once, let alone twice in a single season.

Daniels knows he has room to grow. In his introductory press conference he even admited he wasn't ready to lead the team because he doesn't yet know the playbook.

As humorous as the moment was, it's also an insight into the mindset of the player. Nothing is a given, everything is going to be earned. And for defensive coordinators facing him in the near future the plan for the Commanders is that getting Daniels and his offense off the field is going to be earned, not given, as well.