Since he officially declared for the 2024 NFL draft in January, it has always been a foregone conclusion that USC quarterback Caleb Williams would go No. 1 overall. The only question was if the Chicago Bears would select Williams or trade the pick.
After trading Justin Fields last week, we now know that Williams is heading to Chicago.
The real fun begins at No. 2 and the Washington Commanders. Both Washington and New England (No. 3) need a franchise quarterback. The good news for both teams is there are two other passers worthy of top-three selections: Drake Maye (North Carolina) and Jayden Daniels (LSU).
Over the past several weeks, speculation has Washington leaning toward Daniels. Even Vegas believes the Heisman Trophy winner will be a Commander.
That speculation grew after the Commanders signed veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota in free agency, with many thinking his playing style was more similar to Daniels than Maye, which would make him a better fit for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
That notion is foolish. We don’t even know if Mariota was Washington’s top veteran target. The Commanders were interested in Sam Darnold before he signed with the Vikings. But if we believe what Kingsbury said about what he looks for in a quarterback, Daniels does make sense for Washington.
Kingsbury mentioned how vital mobility was, but some don’t realize how mobile Maye is, too.
One of the NFL’s top insiders, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, weighed in on who he thinks Washington prefers.
“The more I’ve started to ask around, the more it seems like Jayden Daniels is probably the leader in the clubhouse to be a Commander,” Breer said. “It does match up with what Kliff Kingsbury’s looked for in his quarterbacks over the years.”
Albert Breer just said that what he’s hearing from people is that Commanders are leaning towards taking Jayden Daniels with the #2 pick. Breer is respected around the league so this is relatively big news. #httc @1067theFan pic.twitter.com/t9Of8kEc2y
— D-wight One (@DwightWilkins81) March 21, 2024
Breer mentioned how Daniels is the most ready to play over Williams and Maye, which could give him a leg up.
What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. It probably means the Commanders prefer Maye. General manager Adam Peters has been making the rounds to visit each of the draft’s top quarterbacks, and he isn’t tipping his hand.