Jayden Daniels is making a strong impression during his first NFL training camp with the Washington Commanders. The 2024 No. 2 overall pick has been listed as the starting quarterback on the team’s initial unofficial depth chart. He is set to lead the Commanders in their first preseason game against the New York Jets on Saturday. Head coach Dan Quinn stated that Daniels “earned that right,” as reported by Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
Quinn expressed his satisfaction with Daniels’ performance, noting, “I had high expectations coming in, but he has surpassed those,” according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports. He praised Daniels for being well-prepared for the NFL and mentioned that teammates are drawn to him, as noted by ESPN’s John Keim.
During camp, Daniels initially shared first-team reps with veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota but has now seemingly taken the lead in the quarterback competition.
Daniels is not the only rookie for the Commanders starting in the preseason: third-round pick Brandon Coleman is also set to start at left tackle.
In his final season at LSU, Daniels won the Heisman Trophy, throwing for 40 touchdowns and adding another 10 rushing touchdowns.
