The next installment of my scouting report series covers my top ten QBs of the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. I will have the full rankings up after the combine. I started with UNC QB Drake Maye and am now covering LSU's Jayden Daniels.
QB Jayden Daniels(#5), LSU.
Date of Birth: December 18th, 2000.
Age at draft: 23
Strengths:
Fearless in the pocket. Willing to stand tall and get drilled to deliver a pass.
Legit speed. 4.45 range.
Arm talent is good enough. He can push the ball to all levels good enough to be successful in the NFL.
His deep ball is a plus trait. He can throw the ball down the field with touch when needed. He can generate above-average RPMs on deep throws, less of a rainbow ball than other passers.
Multi-speed thrower. He can throw a lofty touch pass when needed.
His ability to plant his foot and cut is unreal. Day one he will be one of the shiftiest QBs in NFL history.
Accuracy is good enough. He doesn’t wow you with ball placement, but the ball is generally in the right location.
Game-changing athleticism that adds another playmaker to the field. His athleticism can’t be understated. Adds an entirely new dimension to an offense that will elevate the success of the offense. His athleticism will help compensate for middling playmakers. His stop-and-start ability is that of an elite receiver. His burst is legit. He is a threat of ripping off a 50-yard run at any point.
He is careful with the football. He is not prone to putting the ball in harm's way. His 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate ranks as the second lowest of the 23 draft-eligible QBs(FBS and FCS).
When he stays in the pocket, he has a natural feel for pressure and maneuvering a crowded pocket. He does a good job of climbing the pocket when sensing edge pressure.
Can throw off-platform due to his special athleticism. However, he is at his best when he utilizes his speed to extend the play, resets his feet, and then throws. The velocity and accuracy of his passes will tank on true off-platform throws due to a lack of elite arm talent. He is still a plus thrower when structure breaks down and he can hit a scrambling receiver.
Quick, compact release.
Weaknesses:
Footwork can get erratic under pressure.
Reps where he telegraphs where the ball is going. His eyes can get stuck onto reads, allowing DBs to get into position to make a play and tightening passing windows.
He needs to be faster to get through his progressions.
He needs to do a better job of keeping his eyes downfield. He can be prone to prematurely bailing from a pocket to make a play with his feet.
Thin frame. Has the potential to add weight in the NFL, but will always have a slender build.
Needs to cut back on initiating contact. He will be facing faster, stronger, and heavier defenders and had a bad habit of welcoming contact. Teams will want him to cut back on that day one.
Has flashed the ability to throw with anticipation, but is far too inconsistent in this regard. Was frequently late to trigger on hitches, curls, comebacks, etc resulting in incomplete or contested passes. This is a hallmark of a high-end NFL QB and an area I was left wanting more.
His field sense and ability to view the field is embarrassing at times. He misses open receivers far too frequently.
He prefers to target the boundary and often overlooks the middle of the field.
Five-year college QB. He will be an older rookie turning 24 years old in his rookie year. An aspect worth considering, if his full contract is utilized he will be nearly 30 by the time his rookie contract expires.
Bottom Line:
Jayden Daniels is an uber-athletic quarterback prospect fresh off a Heisman-winning campaign. He boasts generational burst and short-area quickness for his position. While his arm may not be top-tier (S-tier), he can generate sufficient velocity on drive passes to compete in the NFL. His arm strength is adequate for attacking most areas of the field, though he can't capitalize on some of the smaller throwing windows that QBs with elite arm talent can. Throughout his college football career, Daniels demonstrated continuous improvement, a promising indication of his potential. However, he still needs development as a processor, particularly in reading the middle of the field. Teams will ask him to be quicker to trigger on anticipatory throws such as hitches, curls, and comebacks.
While his frame is not a major concern, adding some additional weight could benefit him, especially in the NFL where reducing contact is important. Fortunately, Daniels has no injury history. He exhibits elite contact balance, allowing him to break more tackles than expected, although he should aim to limit contact in the NFL. In his final season, Daniels displayed extreme caution with the football, possessing one of the lowest turnover-worthy play rates in his draft class. Despite needing to improve as a processor, he rarely forces passes and generally makes good decisions. However, he should look to capitalize on more passing opportunities. His processing issues sometimes manifest in overlooking open receivers in favor of scrambling or missing reads, leaving potential yardage on the field. I frequently found myself asking, “Why did you opt for the check down when you had the back-side dig open for a 20-yard gain?”
Daniels possesses a physical skill set that places him in a small tier of athletes at the quarterback position. Comparisons to Lamar Jackson are common due to their similar athleticism. While Daniels shares the same tier of athleticism as Jackson, his arm talent is a notch below in terms of raw power. It's unlikely he will ever reach the upper echelon of arm talent in the NFL, but he should comfortably sit in the B+ tier. To reach his full potential, he must make strides as a processor. There are numerous instances where he opts for scrambling instead of taking advantage of big passing opportunities. However, his athletic upside, combined with the hope that a team can continue to develop him as a passer, makes it likely that he will be selected at the top of the draft. I believe Daniels' floor as a passer is quite high, primarily due to his exceptional ball security. This trait tends to translate well to the NFL level. However, I don't anticipate him becoming one of the top eight passers in the NFL, mainly due to his average arm strength. Nevertheless, when combined with his athleticism, I think a realistic ceiling is a QB that lives in the QB8-QB14 range in any given year.
Twitter Links:
You can see some of the clips of the film I have shared with finer details to get a clearer picture of a prospect.
Late/anticipatory/timing issues/slow to trigger: Clip one: https://x.com/tjdissect/status/1744170567127777606?s=20
Impressive ball placement/tight window throws/deep ball: Clip one: https://x.com/tjdissect/status/1745239972699898193?s=20
Passing on open receivers: Clip one: https://x.com/tjdissect/status/1732674827540955539?s=20
Toughness/pocket presence: Clip one: https://x.com/tjdissect/status/1745313379906896118?s=20
Flashing anticipation/timing:
Unreal athleticism:
Reducing contact in the NFL:
Featured image courtesy of LSU Athletics Instagram(lsufootball).
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