NFL draft expert makes a bold prediction regarding Jayden Daniels

ESPN’s Mel Kiper dropped his first mock draft of 2024 on Tuesday. To the surprise of many, he predicts the Washington Commanders will select Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick.

Daniels going as high as second in April’s draft will not surprise the many LSU football fans who watched his every snap in purple and gold. However, the consensus among most NFL analysts and fans is that Drake Maye will come off the board immediately after Caleb Williams.

Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, remains the overwhelming favorite to the Chicago Bears with the first overall selection.

Kiper believes that Daniels’ mobility gives him the edge over Maye as the second-best quarterback prospect in the class. He also cited Maye’s inconsistency issues down the stretch as justification for his prediction.

Of course, the longtime ESPN draft analyst acknowledged that we don’t know much about Washington’s intentions. They will enter April with a new general manager and head coach, thus a new direction for the franchise.

In a perfect world, Williams would end up in Washington, considering he is from the D.C. area. However, such a scenario is only possible if the Bears are willing to trade back a spot or gamble on Justin Fields for the long term. Regardless, it seems inevitable that the first two selections in the 2024 NFL Draft will be quarterbacks.

Many NFL mock drafts have listed Jayden Daniels as the third overall selection to the New England Patriots.

I love the prospect of the former LSU signal-caller in New England over Washington. The Patriots are lesser-talented on the offensive side of the ball but remain the more competent franchise.

Regardless, the NFL draft season is exciting for college football fans. I look forward to seeing how LSU football players prepare and potentially improve their draft stock via pre-draft events, including the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and LSU Pro Day.