ASHBURN, Va., — One of Jayden Daniels' worst throws this spring occurred in front of the largest crowd he has encountered since becoming a member of the Washington Commanders. And then all he could do was smile.
Throwing out the first pitch in a Washington Nationals game earlier this month, the Commanders' last great hope at quarterback took his effort to the left-handed batter's box.
It wasn't horrible. But it was not a strike.
“It's good he's pitching here and not in the stadium,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said, smiling.
The errant pitch was one of the few times Daniels didn't impress observers this spring. Otherwise, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft has left a favorable early mark on his teammates and coaches. They know there are more steps ahead. He has yet to face a live pass rush, an opposing defense or someone with pads. Teammates and coaches have pointed it out; They also recognize that there will be good and bad days ahead as Daniels develops. But after getting their first look at the hours he spends at the facility, his ability to call, make and direct plays on the field and his engaging personality, they can't wait to see how he progresses.
“The guy can throw it,” right tackle Andrew Wylie said. “He makes everything look easy. There's something about his game that's just special.”
Before Daniels, Washington had drafted five other quarterbacks in the first round from 1994 to 2019: Heath Shuler, Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell, Robert Griffin III and Dwayne Haskins. They combined to go 51-86 as starters for Washington, with one Pro Bowl selection (Griffin). Only Campbell served as the primary starter for four years; he is also the only one to start 12 or more games in three different seasons.
Now comes Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner who became the No. 2 pick, like Griffin in 2012, who the Commanders hope can finally bring stability to the position.
“He's a rookie,” one organization insider said of Daniels. “There's still a lot to learn. At the same time, he's on the right track.”
THIS SPRING, TEAMMATE after his teammate mentioned how early Daniels arrived at the Commanders' facility.
“He always beats me here, so I think that's cool,” said defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who arrives at 6:45 a.m.
“You start to doubt yourself a little bit,” said guard Nick Allegretti, who arrives at 6:30 a.m. “You think you're one of the first and then it seems like he's been here for a minute.” My eyes are shining. “I'm here at 6:30, so I'm going to work on it, maybe I'll be here at six.”
Daniels arrives around 5:45 a.m.
That's what he did at LSU, too. Rookie catcher Luke McCaffrey has joined Daniels in Washington.
The two players watch the film and then head to the practice bubble to watch the plays.
“I'm still learning the playbook and trying to figure it all out,” Daniels said. “So just being comfortable for a day and being ready to go out and compete.”
The result: a young quarterback who, according to his teammates and coaches, is ahead of himself in learning the offense and particularly the protections.
“His football IQ is really high,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “[With] protections, that impressed me a lot. A lot of guys coming into the league, that's not an area they major in in college. They don't have much time. But know the protections well and work on it.”
As a result, Daniels rarely makes mistakes calling plays in the huddle and rarely needs coaches to repeat one, according to Quinn, who listens on headphones.
“It's further along than you probably should be,” Quinn said.
“He is a student of [the game]”said quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard, “but he just loves it. He loves talking about it, he loves watching it, he loves playing it, he loves practicing it.”
DANIELS HAS OBTAINED Also pay attention to his play on the field.
On one play, Daniels came out of the pocket and threw a perfect pass downfield, over the arms of a defender. In another, a team staff member recalled, when a receiver was about to cross behind a linebacker, Daniels fumbled the ball, anticipating his target would open, to complete it.
“After the second or third cross he threw, I started telling the receivers, 'Hey, you guys gotta figure each other out,'” catcher Terry McLaurin said. “A lot of quarterbacks might like to see you cross the ball and get into that open zone. Or if he's a man [coverage] They like to see you open for him. He can make those throws and give you a chance to catch and run.”
On another play, the defense tried to confuse it with a movement prior to the snap. Daniels paused and pointed to the players on both sides of the formation; He used a hard count to get the defense to reveal his intentions (one coach called it a veteran move), took the snap and connected with tight end Ben Sinnott on a quick pull against a blitz.
“Our quarterbacks have a lot of freedom to come up with things that allow them to attack a defense based on what they see,” Pritchard said. “You're seeing him applying the things he learned in the boardroom.”
After failures, Daniels often talks to one of his teammates. Tight end Zach Ertz can usually be seen with him after a series, making hand gestures as if he were discussing a route. McLaurin and running back Austin Ekeler said Daniels asked them to stay after practice so he could work on throwing a particular route.
“I don't think I've had a young quarterback really come in and in the first week say, 'Hey, can we do this rep after practice?'” said McLaurin, who has played with 10 different starting quarterbacks. . since he joined the organization in 2019. “It makes the growth part much faster.”
Not only has his play been highlighted, but also Daniels' patience and poise in the pocket.
“A lot of guys panic and try to force the throw or just run, but he's comfortable back there and he's looking to make a play down the field,” Allegretti said. “A lot of rookies just put their heads down and run. That's been the biggest thing that's come out.”
DANIELS SMILE EVERYONE the time when you are not taking snapshots. Even when he engaged in a friendly chat with fellow rookie quarterback Sam Hartman during a pre-practice drill, his smile never left his face.
“He's very charismatic,” McLaurin said. “It's really nice when you walk into the building, very approachable.”
One staff member said he sees Daniels eating breakfast at a different table, with different players, almost every day.
When Daniels met standout safety/special teams backup Jeremy Reaves for the first time, the rookie walked up to him and said, “Hey, what's up Reavo?”
“That says a lot about the kid, that he's taking the time to get to know everyone,” Reaves said.
“We sat down and talked, we talked about ball. The first day [of practice] I had a choice against him and I told him [him]”Hey, if you leave this ball further behind him, it's going to be harder for me to get out of the post to make this play.” Be open to constructive criticism and that's what you want. “With franchise players like that, what matters most is who they are off the field, how they are in the locker room with the guys.”
Daniels said he likes to talk to as many teammates as possible, especially on the field, to help him learn.
“You're trying to absorb as much as possible and you have guys like Bobby [Wagner] They've been playing at a high level for a long time, so as much as I can be around them and listen to their ideas, I'm willing to do it,” Daniels said.
QUINN HAD A He plans to split first-team reps among his quarterbacks this spring. Before last week's mandatory minicamp, Marcus Mariota played the majority of the first team's snaps. Once minicamp began, that part went to Daniels, along with snaps of projected starting center Tyler Biadasz during pre-practice drills.
That's why, Quinn said, no statement has been made about whether Daniels will enter training camp as a starter.
“There's no doubt that Jayden is making incredible progress here,” Quinn said. “It was very clear that he had made an effort.
“He's got a swagger. He really has a very firm handle on the things we're doing, but he also has the humility of a young player…knowing he has a lot to prove.”
But there is much more to learn and more situations for Daniels to endure. He must still face defenses designed to deceive him; he has yet to prove that he can consistently make the necessary shots in tight windows, particularly in the red zone. And how will he handle an NFL pass rush once the pads are on?
During a series of hurries last week, Daniels missed several passes as the pocket tightened. He knocked tight end Cole Turner downfield with a deep snap. On the next play, Daniels tried to control Ekeler, but the ball fell at his feet.
Daniels said he will train this summer in Southern California with his quarterback coaches and possibly some of the Commanders' receivers. He will continue to study the playbook and, as he said, “prepare for the season.”
He knows he still has to show what he can do in the fall. He is part of the growth process for any rookie quarterback, even those who have made such a strong first impression.
“I'm not a star quarterback yet,” Daniels acknowledged last week. “I have a long way to go.”
Ekeler, who played his first seven NFL seasons with the Chargers, has played with a longtime starting quarterback in Philip Rivers, as well as a rookie in Justin Herbert. He knows that while the spring was a key step for Daniels, it's just one of many.
“It's hard to say anything until you get to the preseason and see how it plays out,” Ekeler said. “But I'm proud of the progress he's made so far.”
