Since getting selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has taken the NFL by storm. The Heisman Trophy winner and frontrunner for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award is already one of the best dual-threat QBs in the league. How fast is Daniels in relation to his NFL peers?
Jayden Daniels Showing Uncanny Speed As a Rookie
Before he took his first NFL snap, Daniels was described as a “turbocharged athlete with rare speed, lateral agility, bend, and evasive twitch” by PFN’s Ian Cummings during his pre-draft scouting report.
It didn’t take long for Daniels to showcase this in an NFL setting — zipping past defenders for 132 total rushing yards through his first two regular-season games.
Jayden Daniels has the most rushing yards for any rookie QB in a Week 1 debut since 2000 🔥 pic.twitter.com/p54cMbcNhU
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365)
Through 10 games, Daniels has rushed for 464 yards, which is the second-most among quarterbacks behind only Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Also, his four rushing touchdowns rank third among QBs behind only Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (10) and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields (five).
If he finishes the season strong, he could break the rookie QB rushing record. This record belongs to Robert Griffin III, who rushed for 815 yards during the 2012 season.
Is Daniels One of the NFL’s Fastest Players?
Daniels didn’t run the 40-yard dash or do any athletic testing at the NFL Combine or his LSU Pro Day, which makes it tougher to compare his speed to other players.
While at Arizona State, he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, but it certainly seems he has gotten faster since then.
During LSU’s SEC battle against Florida in 2023, Daniels hit 21.8 miles per hour on his 85-yard touchdown run, according to Reel Analytics.
College Football’s Fastest Five of the Week:
2. @LSUfootball QB Jayden Daniels (@JayD__5) 21.8 mph #ReelSpeed
🎥: @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/2gKH9f4LVG
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics)
How does that stack up against fellow NFL players?
The fastest players recorded in the NFL this season by Next Gen Stats are Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. (22.15 mph), Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs (22.03), Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (21.93), Houston Texans WR Nico Collins (21.89), and Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison (21.80).
MORE: Who Are the Fastest Players in the NFL?
Since entering the NFL, Daniels has yet to crack Next Gen Stats’ top 20 fastest ball carriers of the season.
However, he has clearly shown that he’s often the fastest person on the field, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on that list at some point in the near future.
Even if Daniels isn’t one of the fastest NFL players, he’s certainly one of the fastest QBs.
