Jayden Daniels has been one of the most successful rookies in the NFL after he was selected by the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
He shined in a huge way during Sunday’s 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles as he completed 24 of his 39 passing attempts for 258 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
He also was the Commanders’ leading rusher for the game, carrying the ball nine times for 81 yards. He came in the clutch when it mattered the most, delivering a nine-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jamison Crowder in the last six seconds of the game to deliver the Commanders to victory.
In addition to the other milestones he has accomplished, Daniels is also hovering over Robert Griffin IIII’s record for most rushing yards in a single season by a rookie quarterback.
RGIII finished out the 2012 season with 815 yards, which for now, is still the most a first-year NFL quarterback has ever accomplished. Coincidentally, the team he did that for was Washington.
Daniels is now threatening with a total of 737 rushing yards this season as he surpassed both Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson in that category to move to the No. 2 spot there.
Several, including former NFL standout Vernon Davis, see Daniels as a potential measuring stick for other quarterbacks in the future and as a player who could be recognized as an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
“He’s special. The crazy part is, he’s just getting started,” Davis said in an interview with RG. “Anytime you make the jump from college to the professional level, you can come in and play well, but it takes one or two years. It takes after that first year and maybe that second year to really get acclimated and start believing who you’re meant to be.”
2024 has been something for Daniels, but this seems to only be the tip of the iceberg.
“This year’s special for him, but in the years to come, we’re going to see a lot of Jayden Daniels.”
