Jayden Daniels has changed the comical Commanders into a serious franchise | Washington Commanders

There are occasions in life when the second shall be first.

Within the 2023 draft, the Carolina Panthers made a serious commerce with the Chicago Bears to leap up and take Alabama quarterback Bryce Younger with the No 1 total choose. The Houston Texans had been second, they usually took Ohio State’s CJ Stroud.

Greater than a season later, the returns have returned. Younger has struggled to the purpose the place he’s the backup for a 36-year-old journeyman, and Stroud – who had top-of-the-line rookie quarterback seasons ever – was the runaway NFL Offensive Rookie of the yr.

Within the 2024 draft, quarterbacks went one and two once more. The Bears took USC’s Caleb Williams with the primary total choose they obtained from the Panthers the yr earlier than. After which, the Washington Commanders chosen LSU’s Jayden Daniels at No 2.

And with that choice, a as soon as comical franchise seems to have been saved.

Williams has performed about in addition to the Bears’ offense will let him, however after the primary 4 weeks of the 2024 season, Daniels doesn’t simply appear to be the most effective rookie signal-caller in his class – he appears like top-of-the-line rookie quarterbacks we’ve ever seen.

The numbers to this point have been preposterous.

Daniels’ EPA per dropback (a dependable indicator of per-play effectivity) of 0.32 is the very best for any rookie quarterback in Weeks 1-4 since at the least 2000, and Daniels leads the NFL in passing EPA total at +50.7. That’s a long way forward of Josh Allen, who’s second at +36.7.

Daniels’ completion price of 82.1% is the very best for any quarterback over a four-game stretch at any level in a profession (minimal 100 move makes an attempt) since at the least 1950.

The Commanders have had 23 scoring drives this season, and Daniels has simply 19 incompletions. The 1973 Los Angeles Rams are the one different group in NFL historical past to have extra scoring drives than incompletions within the first 4 video games of a season.

The 2024 Commanders have the second-highest EPA per drive by means of the primary 4 video games of a season in NFL historical past. The 2007 New England Patriots, broadly considered the most effective offensive group ever, are the one group with the next total effectivity.

Some quarterbacks who’re ruthlessly environment friendly change into so as a result of they throw largely low-cost stuff beneath defensive coverages. That’s not Daniels. On passes of 10-19 air yards this season, he has accomplished 18 of 21 passes for 294 yards, one landing, no interceptions, a passer score of 134.6, and a passing EPA of +29.0 – second-best within the NFL behind Brock Purdy. On passes of 20 or extra air yards, Daniels has accomplished two of eight passes for 82 yards, one landing, one interception, a passer score of 69.8, and a passing EPA of +0.4. The deep ball has been one among Daniels’ few shortcomings to this point, however you possibly can already see him processing the errors, and transferring ahead.

Washington’s 42-14 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday was a significant homecoming for Daniels, who spent his first three collegiate seasons at Arizona State earlier than transferring to LSU, and for Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who was the Cardinals’ head coach from 2019-2022. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn made certain to provide Kingsbury the sport ball after the win, as a result of he is aware of how a lot it meant to his OC, and the way a lot Kingsbury has taken Daniels’ ridiculous attributes to their highest doable aircraft.

Not that Daniels is ideal. As is the case with any rookie quarterback, he makes the occasional boneheaded throw. However defenses can’t depend on him making an error, and they should take benefit if he does, as a result of he learns from his errors, and he does so rapidly on the sphere. We noticed that in Sunday’s sport. Within the first-half, Daniels threw his first NFL interception: Arizona cornerback Garrett Williams was in a greater place than Washington’s Terry McLaurin on a late, deep move and picked the rookie off. On Daniels’ subsequent try, he once more threw late to McLaurin on a deep move, and Williams almost had one other choose. However Daniels settled down, and threw simply two incompletions from then on.

“They didn’t actually say something to me,” Daniels mentioned of his coaches and teammates relating to the interception. “I would like that one again, however you’re good, transfer on to the subsequent play. The NFL is at all times in regards to the subsequent play. You’ll be able to’t return and repair what occurred previously, however no one actually had a dialog with me about that.”

Maybe as a result of they know that Daniels not often makes the identical mistake twice.

And for probably the most half, Daniels has already proven that he’s able to working a posh NFL offense in a means you don’t anticipate from first-year guys. He’s already processing the sport consistent with his bodily attributes at a degree you’d anticipate from Patrick Mahomes or Matthew Stafford, the acknowledged masters of pocket motion and the no-look move. This 17-yard completion to fellow rookie Luke McCaffrey (the youthful brother of Christian) towards the Cardinals had Daniels doing all of that. It’s onerous for a protection to have an applicable reply to a play like this. One thing you simply have to just accept it, tip your cap, and transfer on.

Whereas there have been different rookie quarterbacks who’ve began off sturdy within the NFL solely to flame out, Daniels appears like he’s right here to remain. Kingsbury has expanded his playcalling palette from his Arizona days to provide Daniels open ideas for his receivers, and though Daniels has no difficulty going by means of all of the progressions in a play, he additionally is aware of when to take the revenue his coaches and targets have arrange for him. Daniels can play celebrity when it’s required, however he doesn’t merely depend on his bodily abilities – and at 6ft 4in and 210lbs with blazing velocity he has a couple of. As was the case throughout his Heisman Trophy season of 2023, Daniels simply understands the sport at a special degree. That was true once I was capable of watch tape with him the day earlier than he gained that award, and it’s much more so now.

As Quinn mentioned after Sunday’s sport, his new quarterback who gained’t let something (together with an Previous Residence Week return to the Valley of the Solar) have an effect on his preparation.

“I had instructed him earlier that I used to be actually pleased with him. I knew there have been some further tales being right here again at ASU. And very similar to Kliff, you’d by no means have identified that. I simply thought he dealt with it like an actual G. Stayed regular all through when it comes to the preparation,” Quinn mentioned. “He and the quarterbacks and the fellows, there have been many late nights within the room watching tape collectively. There was only one workplace down from mine within the resort and all through the week together with final evening, simply placing within the further time going into it. They simply sort of stayed round and had been speaking by means of all of the stuff, so I believe that speaks to their preparation.”

Which is why, as spectacular as he’s already been, Daniels is unlikely to be a four-game surprise. What you see with this explicit marvel is strictly what you get.