Jayden Daniels was a hot commodity during the pre-draft process. This was seen as a particularly strong quarterback class with three prospects at the top. The Washington Commanders and several others around the league spent considerable time running the rule over each in pursuit of potentially turning around their fortunes.
Daniels had more going for him than most as the Heisman Trophy winner. The New York Giants were one of the teams willing to move up for the LSU product despite handing veteran signal-caller Daniel Jones a lucrative extension. Unfortunately, the Commanders were next in line after Caleb Williams went to the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall.
The offseason Hard Knocks featuring the Giants provided a window into their thought process. It featured everything from Saquon Barkley’s free agency, the Brian Burns trade, and their assessment of Daniels. Fans should have savored every moment because it’s unlikely any NFL team will agree to this again. This also showed how high those in power were on the dynamic signal-caller during their assessments.
Brian Daboll remains a huge fan of Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Brian Daboll was among those banging the table for Daniels. The head coach doubled down on his praise of the signal-caller before going up against him in Week 2. He was also quick to point out the other weapons at Washington’s disposal and how dangerous they can be.
“Looks like a good football player to me. Again, I’m sure there are plays he would like to have back, just like all of us, but I think he’s a good football player. I think he’s a good quarterback. I think they’ve got a lot of good pieces around him. (Terry) McLaurin is an exceptional receiver. Speed. (Brian) Robinson is a tough runner. They brought Austin (Ekeler) over there from LA. Again, it’s the biggest team sport there is, and that’s where we’ll focus. The quarterback is in his second start, so there’s not a lot of tape other than you go back, and there’s plenty of tape that we watched at LSU. Again, it’s still early in the season, so there’s a lot of tape to sift through some of the preparation and the things you go through. You make sure you hit the big details.”
– Brian Daboll via SI
The Giants never had a shot at getting Daniels once the Commanders became enamored with his services. However, they might have an insider’s knowledge on how to limit his contribution thanks to wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Nabers took the college football world by storm alongside the quarterback in 2023. Any help he can provide would be a bonus, but the scheme is entirely different from the one deployed down in Baton Rouge.
It’s a high-stakes situation for both teams in just the second game of 2024. They are coming off disappointing losses and won’t want to get left behind. Washington hasn’t enjoyed the best of fortunes versus the Giants in recent years. The presence of Daniels and wholesale changes across the board provide hope this narrative can change quickly.
If Daniels rises to the occasion and kickstarts a period of dominance for the Commanders in this storied rivalry, Daboll will be among those harboring a huge sense of regret. He’s tied to Jones for good or bad. If the same trend continues, Giants owner John Mara won’t hesitate to wield the axe.
