The Washington Commanders have entered the next generation of their franchise with new ownership, a new head coach, and a new quarterback.
Heading into his second season at the helm of the Commanders, owner Josh Harris decided to let go of veteran coach Ron Rivera. While well-respected in NFL circles, it was clear that Riverboat Ron’s time in Washington was nearing an end. This brought forth the opportunity to hire Dan Quinn, the Dallas Cowboy’s defensive coordinator.
With having the second overall pick, the Commanders made a choice at QB. They were almost certain that Caleb Williams would go number one overall in the draft to the Chicago Bears. It was then up to the team to determine who should be the second quarterback off the board.
Enter Daniels
It’s not every day that the reigning Heisman award winner falls into your lap. For Washington, that is exactly what happened with Jayden Daniels. The starting QB for the Louisiana State Tigers would be the guy the team honed in on.
Daniels started his college career at Arizona State, where he played 12 games as a freshman. The young quarterback would have a 17-2 touchdown to interception ratio in his first year of PAC-12 play. A COVID shorten season derailed his sophomore campaign but a bounce back year in his junior year helped fasttrack him to the top of quarterback rankings.
Jayden then decided to take a chance, throwing his name into the transfer portal that has changed the landscape of college football. He would land at LSU, one of the top collegiate football programs in the nation. Working with Brian Kelly, who left his position at Norte Dame to head to LSU, Jayden would be learning from one of the best football minds in the sport.
This impact and growth would surely be seen on the field. In 2022, Jayden Daniels again had an elite touchdown to interception rate. This time, he held a 17-3 ratio, pairing those numbers with 11 rushing touchdowns. The Tigers finished 16th in the nation with a 10-4 record.
Heisman Season
Under his last season of elgibility, Daniels had to make it count.
Leading the Tigers to a national championship was the goal and while LSU did not accomplish this goal, they still had a tremendous season. Finishing 12th in the nation, Daniels had a stellar season. Throwing for 40 touchdowns, while rushing for another 10. His interception count rose to just 4 picks on the season.
Thanks to his breakout campaign, Daniels would win the Heisman trophy. He was the first QB at Louisiana State to win the honor since Joe Burrow in 2019. This set the stage for the NFL, where he was certain to be drafted in the first round.
With the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jayden Daniels would hear his name called. This began the next chapter of his football career.
NFL Comparison: CJ Stroud
I keep saying that Jayden Daniels is going to have a CJ Stroud-like season in his rookie year.
Stroud led the Houston Texans to a 10-7 season, winning the AFC South. In his first career playoff start, CJ helped lead the Texans to a playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Prior to last season, the Texans were in the same position as the Commanders. Picking second overall, they had to wait to see what the first pick (Panthers) would do at the position. While the AFC South is an easier division than the NFC East, I expect to see some headway made by the Commanders in Daniels’ first season.
In our latest episode of Sunday Morning Slants, an NFL podcast that I host, we picked game results the Commanders schedule. While I was more favorable than my co-hosts, we landed on a 7-10 season. I would expect Washington to finish at least 9-8 this season with a spot in the playoffs. Chances are it would be the 7th seed, but I think that Daniels is going to have a huge impact on this newer generation of Commanders’ football.
Pairing with some key veterans in Terry McLaurin, Austin Ekeler, and Zach Ertz, I would expect these players to be able to guide their young quarterback. The team has young talent like Brian Robinson Jr, Jahan Dotson, and Luke McCaffrey who will look to earn favor with Jayden as the seasons progress in his Washington tenure.
The arm talent is there with Jayden and the ability to use his legs is almost required to play quarterback in the NFL these days. He will be able to put pressure on defenses and make them respect both aspects of his game, like CJ Stroud. If the Commanders can help Daniels avoid some common pitfalls that rookies fall into, I think he will have an incredible season in Washington.
Matt Watson Media 
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