The Washington Commanders hit a home run with quarterback Jayden Daniels at the 2024 NFL Draft. Of course, anyone selected with the No. 2 overall selection is expected to be great, but Daniels, nonetheless, certainly surpassed any immediate expectations.
Daniels led the Commanders to the postseason in 2024. Moreover, he led them on a deep run. Washington made the NFC Championship Game, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and upsetting the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions along the way.
The Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, but several people around the NFL believe Daniels has the chance to build on his rookie season. You can count Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay among them.
Rams’ Sean McVay Sees ‘Scary’ Future for Commanders’ Jayden Daniels
McVay, along with many coaches, spoke with ESPN’s John Keim recently. Keim wrote a story based on what the Commanders could do to build upon their successful 2024 campaign. The Rams head coach pointed to Daniels and his ability to continue playing at a high level.
“The way he was playing the position, it sure looks sustainable,” McVay told Keim. “He has that swagger, that confidence, that enjoyment with competing … the smile, the ability to be totally immersed in the moment. That’s one of the things I loved about watching him. I don’t see that changing. … He’s going to be really scary for a long time.”
At times, watching Daniels in 2024 felt surreal. The improvements he made were evident in real time. For instance, he was able to avoid taking sacks by keeping his eyes downfield when leaving the pocket.
“He is a quick study on things,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said in January. “I knew he would improve on it, and there’s still too many and we’re still growing. But there also is a time when this is the winning moment. That’s a different discussion.”
Speaking of winning moments, Daniels did extremely well in those, too. From his Week 5 Hail Mary against the Chicago Bears to his comeback win over the Buccaneers in the playoffs, the young quarterback rose to the occasion.
What was truly impressive was his poise under pressure. Daniels seemingly refused to let the moment get to him. When he faced the best or was in a moment where he had to succeed, he came through more often than not.
These traits have given Washington confidence in its long-term outlook. After years of searching for their guy, they’ve finally found him. Now, it’s about putting him in the best position to succeed.
To this end, Washington has given Daniels pieces to work with. They traded for left tackle Laremy Tunsil in a surprising deal with the Houston Texans. Moreover, they traded for standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel in early March.
The team certainly could use more. Nevertheless, the Commanders have done a good job of building a foundation around their franchise quarterback. If the pieces come together, Washington could certainly be a scary team with Daniels leading the way.