Jayden Daniels — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

The Patriots select Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye here. The LSU standout was impressive at his pro day this week. And perhaps more importantly, he weighed 210 pounds. His weight was a potential concern for teams earlier in the draft process, especially after Daniels opted not to get measured at the NFL Scouting Combine. Daniels is plenty heavy enough to be a potentially game-changing QB for new head coach Jerod Mayo.

Jerod Mayo commenting on Drake Maye being talented but raw at the Annual League Meeting's coaches breakfast might be the ultimate red herring. But for now, I am going with Daniels, who can give the Patriots a solid floor with his running and deep-ball passing abilities. Plus, he appears to be a charismatic leader who can weather a rebuild.

The Commanders have taken a similar tack to the Bears in free agency, bolstering their skill position groups with experienced veterans who can ease the transition for an incoming rookie signal caller. Washington added running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Zach Ertz and signed a couple of offensive linemen, including center Tyler Biadasz, bolstering an offense that already included receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. That should help Daniels hit the ground running.

First-year head coach Jerod Mayo is ready to put a new twist on "The Patriot Way" with a new QB at the helm. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner packs his bags for Foxborough.

They are definitely taking a quarterback and Jayden Daniels should be the pick. He's the most-improved player I've ever seen in the draft process. That matters.

Everything is new in Washington -- ownership, general manager and coach. And there will be a new quarterback, too. Daniels' dual-threat ability is an ideal fit for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's version of the Air Raid offense. With back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards and a nearly perfect QBR of 99.5 on passes over 20 yards, Daniels would thrive with wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson opening things up down the field. The Commanders will have a tough decision to make between Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye, but I see Daniels as the clear-cut QB2. He is also ready to play immediately after starting 55 games in college; Maye might have more upside, but Daniels is ready to excel right now.

Daniels is coming off a massive final season at LSU, throwing 40 touchdown passes, improving his completion rate to 72.2%, avoiding turnovers with only four interceptions, and rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 more scores. I have concerns about his build -- he was listed at 6-4, 210 pounds at LSU and didn't weigh in at the combine -- and he needs to add weight to withstand the rigors of an NFL season. But I really like the idea of Jacoby Brissett already being in New England, which would allow the Pats to let Daniels develop; there's no rush or rule that says he has to play right out of the gate.

The new regime, with general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, has remained tight-lipped about its intentions. Is there a preference among the remaining quarterbacks? Would they love a trade-down knowing the sheer volume of needs for, as one active assistant coach said, the "hands-down worst roster in the league" before Peters and Quinn arrived?

Trading Sam Howell and not taking a quarterback prospect would be curious, even with Marcus Mariota around. If scouting sources mention a tier peer with Williams, it's the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Daniels' pressure-to-sack ratio is jarring, as are the hits the slender quarterback absorbs when on the move. "Jayden probably made more progress (year over year) than any QB coming out in the last five or six years," said one high-ranking NFC scout. "He can anticipate, make all the throws and is a great athlete."