Jayden Daniels, QB LSU: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Daniels was a four-star recruit from Cajon High School in San Bernardino, Calif. in the class of 2019

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy. His evolution over the past two years has been remarkable. Daniels will be a top 100 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but how high can he climb?

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more opinions on prospects, clips, and the latest football content.

Jayden Daniels, QB LSU: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year senior quarterback from San Bernardino, Calif.

Background: Daniels was a four-star recruit from Cajon High School in San Bernardino, Calif. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 35 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 57 for Rivals, and No. 50 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 44th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. Daniels transferred from Arizona State to LSU for the 2022 season. He started for four years at Cajon, going 44-10 and setting the CIF-Southern Section record with 14,007 passing yards and 170 touchdowns. Daniels also rushed for 3,645 yards and 41 touchdowns on 562 attempts. He produced back-to-back seasons with more than 6,000 all-purpose yards as a junior and senior, totaling 12,487 yards during that stretch. As a senior, Daniels completed 287 of 406 pass attempts for 4,515 yards, 60 touchdowns, and four interceptions while rushing for 1,536 yards and 16 touchdowns. He completed 321 of 459 passes for 5,136 yards, 62 touchdowns, and five interceptions as a junior. Daniels also rushed for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns that season as Cajon went 14-2 and won the 2017 CIF Southern Section 4A Football Championship. He was selected for the Under Armour All-American Game.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2019 USC game with a left knee injury, entered concussion protocol during 2023 Alabama game

Awards: 2019 Honorable Mention Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, 2019 Sun Bowl MVP, 2023 Team Captain

Pros: Clear development arc in college, leadership traits, quick throwing motion, shoulders stay level, steps into throws to drive the ball, throws frozen ropes over the MOF, good velocity on throws outside the numbers, excellent touch, touch on red zone fades, mostly hits wide receivers in stride downfield, hit 50-air yard TD in stride vs. Missouri (2023), completed a pass that traveled 48 air yards vs. Alabama (2023), tight window end zone shots in 2023, terrific at dropping the ball in the bucket on the sideline, uses eyes to hold safeties in the MOF, works 1 to 2 quickly on reads, protective of the football as a passer, clear improvement in decision-making over time, tough QB who bounces back after big hits, good escapability to run or extend plays, threat to keep the ball on the option, top speed to outrace defenders and their angles, rare acceleration for a QB, blows past flat-footed defenders, jump cuts to make defenders miss

Cons: Lean frame will raise durability questions, limited play strength, taken a lot of hits over the past two years, needs to protect himself more, drops eyes when he feels the rush, ball needs to get out faster when his line is losing consistently, ball placement drops off significantly when pressured, windup in throwing motion, some passes aren’t spirals, arm strength seems to fade on throws over 50 yards downfield, inconsistent lower body mechanics, gets toesy at times in the pocket, feet are overly active in the pocket, too willing to fade away while throwing, doesn’t align feet which throws off ball placement at times, poor ball placement vs. Florida State (2023), doesn’t throw with much anticipation, needs to see it before he throws it, better touch and placement needed throwing to the flat, placement on short passes near the LOS can be erratic, placement doesn’t lead receivers on intermediate crossing routes, instances of eyes tipping off corners, needs to speed up processing on full-field reads, benefits from some half-field reads with elite receivers

Overview: Daniels is a veteran quarterback and leader who has clearly gone through a development arc during his time in college and is still improving. He has a quick throwing motion that includes a bit of a windup. His shoulders stay level while throwing, but his release leads to a few wobbly passes. Daniels’ lower body mechanics are inconsistent, but when he steps into throws, he puts the ball on a frozen rope. The Arizona State transfer puts good velocity on throws outside the numbers. He has adequate arm strength, but some of his passes start to fade beyond 50 yards downfield. Daniels throws with excellent touch, especially on red zone fades. He drops the ball in the bucket to hit receivers in stride downfield. Some of his most impressive throws this year feature him fitting the ball into tight windows in the corner or along the sideline of the end zone. He also threads the needle when his receiver is tightrope walking the sideline against man coverage. Daniels occasionally tips off cornerbacks by staring down wide receivers, but he also uses his eyes to hold safeties over the middle of the field. The fifth-year quarterback works through his first and second reads quickly, but his processing slows down on full-field reads. He benefits from half-field reads and LSU’s elite receivers. Daniels is protective of the football and prefers to tuck and run rather than challenge dangerous coverage. His decision-making has come a long way since Arizona State. Daniels’ mobility and speed set him apart from other quarterbacks in the 2024 class. He escapes the pocket to run or extend plays and has the acceleration and top speed to blow past flat-footed defenders and erase pursuit angles. The California native even throws in some jump cuts to make defenders miss. He usually refuses to slide or run out of bounds despite his lean frame and limited play strength, which raises concerns about durability. Daniels must learn to protect himself from the intense punishment he takes on a weekly basis. He is incredibly tough, but those hits add up. Daniels relies too much on his mobility at times, dropping his eyes too early when he feels the pass rush. He needs to get the ball out faster when facing a tough defensive line. His ball placement declines when facing consistent pressure. Daniels’ lower body mechanics need work. He is too toesy in the pocket with feet that are too active. The Heisman candidate fades away too often instead of stepping into throws. His feet don’t align with his shoulders during the throwing motion, which leads to poor ball placement. Daniels doesn’t throw with much anticipation and won’t let the ball go until he sees his receiver get out of his break. His touch and placement on throws to the flat and other passes near the line of scrimmage are erratic. Daniels doesn’t consistently lead his targets on intermediate crossing routes, which limits their yards after the catch.

Overall, Daniels is a dynamic but erratic passer who is capable of creating explosive plays through the air or with his legs, but it’s unlikely he will deliver high-level quarterback play over the course of a full NFL season. Daniels could be a spot starter and will win a QB2 role as a rookie. He has traits-based upside to accompany leadership skills and toughness.

Role & Scheme Fit: Mobile quarterback in a spread offense that moves the pocket

Round Projection: Third Round

Size: 6'4", 210 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 11-11-23