Jayden Daniels has cemented himself as OROY, eyes NFL greatness
Jayden Daniels has proven himself as the best quarterback of his draft class with a breakout rookie season.
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Jayden Daniels (Image via Open Source/Instagram)
The quarterback position is considered to be the most important on an NFL team but to highlight just how a good QB can elevate the team, take a look at the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels. Last season, the team was at the bottom of the NFC East with a 4-13 record, and this year, they sit in the second position with a 10-5 record.
While it has not been entirely because of Jayden Daniels, the rookie quarterback deserves a significant amount of credit for the team’s success. In the run-up to the 2024 draft, the race between him and Caleb Williams to be the first overall pick was not close as the Bears had made their mind up to draft the USC quarterback. He was dubbed to be the best and most pro-ready QB in this class.
However, fast forward to 15 weeks of the NFL regular season, it is Jayden Daniels who has ended all debate and cemented the fact that he is the most NFL-ready player from his draft class. The quarterback has 3,303 yards, 22 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. With a QBR of 71.9, he ranks amongst the top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL this season.
Jayden Daniels has been playing with a level of maturity that is only seen in veteran quarterbacks
His impact has been felt immediately by the offense as the Commanders have played lights out since Week 1. Through the first five weeks of the season, Washington had dropped 150 points over their opponents with a 4-1 record with a rookie quarterback.
He had passed for over 1,000 yards and rushed for over 250 in the first five games, becoming the only player in league history to accomplish this feat.
There is no debate that he is the winner of the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors this season. While his rookie season is now extended, since the Commanders will be making the playoffs, irrespective of the outcome, the future is bright for him and the team. The scary part for defenses in the NFL is that Daniels’ greatness is just starting.
The reason he is special is because of his ability to stay calm under pressure. In his rookie season, he has shown immense maturity, and more importantly, he has displayed that he can stay in control of the offense, and these are traits that quarterbacks these days do not have ingrained in them right out of college.
These are traits one develops through experience after years of playing in the NFL. To see Daniels possess these qualities is amazing, because at a time when the quality of quarterbacks coming out of college is questionable, he offers some difference as a breath of fresh air.
Jayden Daniels has the clutch gene in his DNA
A man’s true grit is tested not when he is in control of everything around him, but when his back is up against the wall. In the NFL, games often come down to the wire and it becomes important to have a quarterback that can not just be calm, but step up in critical situations.
Jayden Daniels does just that. In his rookie year, in four separate games, he scored a touchdown with under 30 seconds left. His Hail Mary pass in the win against the Bears and his Week 16 touchdown throw with six seconds left on the clock, show he lives for these moments.
I love those types of situations. Those are when it’s on thin ice and plays need to be made. That’s what you live for.
Jayden Daniels said after that game
Those are words that shed light on his character as a competitor. His career is undoubtedly going to be great but there is an asterisk attached next to his rookie season performance.
Jayden Daniels has been able to thrive this much because it is his first season in the NFL and defensive coordinators will formulate strategies to keep him in check subsequently. That is true, there is no arguing with that argument.
But Daniels is a competitor, and more importantly, he is a humble person with a consistent work ethic. Kliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn have lauded his work ethic, and it is evident that he will continue to learn, grow, and improve. This is just the start of a long and impressive career.
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Sumedh Joshi
(2196 Articles Published)