It’s been a terrific NFL season, one that has seen rookies make a considerable impact. Perhaps none bigger than Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has made the pick count so far. That comes as no surprise to former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who coached against Daniels in college.
“Since Joe Burrow, which whatever year that was when they beat us, this was the most dominating player that we played against at Alabama for four or five years,” Saban said of Jayden Daniels. “And I said it last year in the draft, you know all these pro people call and ask your opinion on people you played against, I said, ‘This guy’s the best guy we played against for five years.
That’s pretty high praise from one of the sharpest minds in football.
For his part, Jayden Daniels has made that look remarkably true. He was named to the 2024 Pro Bowl after a terrific season, and he’s got Washington on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance.
The biggest factor to Saban? Daniels can literally do it all.
“No disrespect to anybody else, you guys got to look at all the quarterbacks, but I think this guy is a great passer,” Saban said. “He’s fast as hell and he can scramble and run and make plays. He’s smart, he makes good decisions. I don’t see how you can go wrong with this guy. And I actually thought he was the best guy in the draft last year because of the production that he had in college. And he did it for two years.”
Jayden Daniels logged 3,568 yards passing and 25 touchdowns in the regular season, against just nine interceptions. He also ran for 891 yards and six scores.
He’s been a breath of fresh air for the league. And assuming he stays healthy, there’s little reason to think he can’t continue his current run of dominance.
Washington will take on Philadelphia on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, with a national broadcast slated for FOX. A Super Bowl appearance will be on the line.
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