Ranking the NFL Starting Quarterbacks
#23 Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
You’ve probably heard the comparisons between Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson. They aren’t far off considering Daniels is similar in speed and has the ability to score from anywhere on the field. He ran for 1,134 yards in 12 games last season, including a 2-game span against Alabama and Florida where he rushed for 397 yards.
A key difference between the two, however, is that Daniels is substantially ahead of where Jackson was coming out of college in terms of mastering the subtleties and nuances of playing from the pocket.
He’s quiet and calm in the face of the pass rush and doesn’t flinch when the other team’s jersey color flashes:
He’s an accurate passer and has shown the ability to throw with timing and anticipation:
He’s the total package without any glaring weaknesses. The Commanders got it right with this pick.
Not to mention, he’ll be in an offensive system under Kliff Kingsbury that will take advantage of his skillset. Washington also has a wide variety of talent around Daniels at each of the skill positions. He’s in a good situation for a rookie QB.
2024 will be an interesting year in D.C. for a lot of reasons, with Jayden Daniels’ play on the field being among them.
To read my full Daniels breakdown, click here.
Check out the rest of the rankings here:
#32 Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
#31 Drake Maye (New England Patriots)
#30 J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
#29 Gardner Minshew (Las Vegas Raiders)
#28 Will Levis (Tennessee Titans)
#27 Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
#26 Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
#25 Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
#24 Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
#23 Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
#22 Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
#21 Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
#20 Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
#19 Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints)
#18 Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
#17 Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
#16 Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
#15 Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
#14 Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
#13 Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons)
#12 Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
#11 Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers)
#10 Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
#9 Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
#8 C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
#7 Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
#6 Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
#5 Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
#4 Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
#3 Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
#2 Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
#1 Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)