Featured Columnist IVMarch 27, 2024
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Jayden Daniels will not be showing off his athletic prowess at LSU’s pro day.
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reported Daniels will not do athletic testing at Wednesday’s workout and will instead focus on throwing. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is expected to be one of the first three picks in next month’s NFL draft and could go as high as No. 2 to the Washington Commanders.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network spoke to Daniels’ agent, who said the quarterback will meet with the Commanders, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders after his pro day.
The MMQB’s Albert Breer noted the Patriots sent a sizable contingent to evaluate Daniels on Wednesday:
Albert Breer @AlbertBreer
The Patriots have 9 (!) guys in attendance at LSU QB Jayden Daniels’ Pro Day: Eliot Wolf, Jerod Mayo, Matt Groh, Pat Stewart, Alonzo Highsmith, Cam Williams, Alex Van Pelt, Ben McAdoo and TC McCartney.
Patriots contingent will travel to Chapel Hill for Drake Maye’s Pro Day next.
Daniels did not throw or participate in any athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s essentially allowing his game tape to do the talking, and it’s hard to blame him coming off a senior season that saw him throw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns while adding 1,134 yards and 10 scores as a runner.
While his numbers were off the charts last season, there has been some concern with how Daniels projects as an NFL passer. He struggles at times with his decision-making in the pocket—particularly under pressure—and was blessed with two first-round receivers at LSU in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
The B/R Scouting Department, which ranks Daniels as the No. 3 quarterback behind Drake Maye and Caleb Williams, described his accuracy as “inconsistent” and his velocity on passes as “mediocre.”
Some also find his penchant for taking big hits on scrambles outside the pocket to be an issue.
“Going forward taking fewer hits but that’s just the competitive person in me. I always want to fight for extra yards, a little too greedy sometimes but God blessed me to be able to bounce back up,” Daniels told reporters at the combine.
Of course, none of those concerns will be on display at Wednesday’s pro day. Daniels will be throwing to receivers while wearing shorts and no pads while not facing any pressure. It’s not exactly the type of environment to test out the deficiencies scouts see.
If Daniels is able to show improved footwork and accuracy, though, he might wind up locking himself into that No. 2 spot.
