Star quarterback Jayden Daniels could still end up getting selected by the Washington Commanders with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft next week, but there is now some added drama involved.
The apparent turmoil stems, in part, from Washington’s bizarre decision to host Daniels with three of the other top quarterback prospects before making its first-round selection, according to reports.
Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy last season in his lone year at LSU after transferring from Arizona State, is reportedly unsure if he wants to play for the Commanders.
Daniels’ agent, Ron Butler, liked two posts on X that were critical of Washington’s curious move to invite Daniels, along with North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., to a meeting ahead of the draft, Commanders Wire reported Wednesday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the visit with the other prospects “didn’t seem to go over too well with the agent for Jayden Daniels,” and that Daniels believed he would meet with Washington by himself.
Further, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said while Daniels remains the favorite to be the No. 2 pick, he has talked “to somebody close with Daniels who believes that he has at least openly wondered about his options,” per On3.
Those might include the Las Vegas Raiders, but that seems unlikely.
“He has had interest in playing for the Raiders, who pick 13th and probably can’t get high enough to pick him,” Fowler said. “I can’t confirm that he doesn’t want to play for Washington, but it hasn’t been an easy smooth process for whatever reason so far.”
It’s an unexpected mess for Washington, which is looking for a new starting quarterback after trading Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks at the start of free agency in March.
The Commanders are entering their first season under new head coach Dan Quinn, who replaced Ron Rivera in February, and first-year general manager Adam Peters, who previously served as the assistant GM for the 49ers.
The 2024 NFL Draft runs from April 25-27.
