Jayden Daniels NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for LSU QB

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 210

HAND:

ARM:

WINGSPAN:

40-YARD DASH:

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL:

BROAD:

POSITIVES

— Elite athleticism. Excellent burst, agility, and speed for the position.

— Above-average pocket toughness.

— Above-average process within the pocket. Ties his feet to his eyes to remain in a throwing position late in the progression.

— Good ability to create. Dangerous runner with sparse flashes of creativity as a thrower outside the pocket.

— Very good deep-ball accuracy. Consistently drops it in the bucket.

NEGATIVES

— Skinny frame with a reckless abandon as a ball-carrier. Opens himself up to future injury.

— Mediocre velocity. Can sometimes struggle driving the ball into tight windows.

— Inconsistent accuracy to the short and intermediate areas, especially if not throwing on time.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 236-327 (72.2%), 3,812 YDS, 11.7 Y/A, 40 TD, 4 INT, 208 RTG; 135 ATT, 1,134 YDS, 10 TD

NOTES

— Born Dec. 18, 2000

— 4-star recruit in 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Started career at Arizona State, transferred to LSU in 2022

— Five-year starter (three at Arizona State, two at LSU)

— Won the Heisman Trophy in 2023

— 2023 consensus All-American

— 2023 SEC Offensive Player of the Year

— First-team All-SEC in 2023

OVERALL

Jayden Daniels is the dual-threat dice roll in this year's draft class.

A five-year starter dating back to his days at Arizona State, Daniels' superpower is his athleticism. He has home run speed and a ton of burst and flexibility to wiggle out of the pocket and around defenders in space. No other quarterback comes close to Daniels as a rushing threat and athlete in this class.

As a passer, Daniels handles himself like an experienced vet. He plays with a calm demeanor in the pocket, which you can see both in his quiet footwork and in his fearlessness under pressure. Daniels is also a stable processor. He might throw himself into coverage versus rotated coverages at times, but he generally plays with good discipline and timing, and he gets the ball to the right man.

Daniels' arm talent and accuracy is a mixed bag. On one hand, he's a phenomenal deep thrower in rhythm. He regularly drops it in the bucket without needing his receivers to break stride. However, Daniels' arm strength and accuracy are less dangerous to other parts of the field. He doesn't always have the velocity to fit tight windows, and his accuracy in the 1-20 yard range comes and goes. Daniels' accuracy especially falls off when he's forced to throw out of rhythm or late in the down.

Overall, Daniels has an exciting floor as a prospect. He is a veteran-like presence in the pocket, and he's far and away the best athlete in the class at the position. Daniels' average arm talent and inconsistent accuracy may limit his ceiling, but it's hard to imagine him totally flaming out. Daniels would be best in an offense that leans into his rushing ability and vertical passing, similar to Kyler Murray or Jalen Hurts.

GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 31

POSITION RANK: QB3

PRO COMPARISON: Robert Griffin III

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

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