Jayden Daniels discusses rumours he will reject the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL Draft

After a poor 2023 season in which they won only four Games, the Washington CoMMAnders have the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday’s 2024 NFL Draft, with ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reporting they will target LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, the winner of the Heisman Trophy for the best college Football player in 2023.

Following the end of the college football season, Daniels’ stock has risen even further in terms of the upcoming Draft, with most expecting him to be selected second behind fellow quarterback Caleb Williams, who is expected to join Chicago Bears, who have the No. 1 overall pick.

No. 2 choosing No. 2 appears to make sense, although rumours have circulated that Daniels isn’t sold on the idea of moving to Washington, with another ESPN journalist, Jeremy Fowler, claiming “somebody close to Daniels believes that he has at least openly wondered about his options”.

Could Jayden Daniels hold out for the Raiders over the Commanders?

The Las Vegas Raiders have been touted as his preferred destination but have little hope of drafting the 23-year-old as they will pick 13th.

In any case, Daniels himself has revealed on the Night Caps podcast, hosted by former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco, that talk of him having a favourite team is wide of the mark.

What did Daniels say about joining the Commanders?

The quarterback was first asked about the rumoured interest in joining the Raiders, which he realise doesn’t look likely: “I don’t know how they would pull that off, it’s above my pay grade. I’m not saying I want to go to the Raiders, I want to go to whatever team wants me.”

Does that mean the door open for the Commanders, then? It appears so, especially given his subsequent comments about his potential future teammates in Washington: “Oh, they got some dawgs over there,” a grinning Daniels added.

With new owners in place, could we about to witness a new era for the Commanders? The three-time Super Bowl champions have been starved of success in recent years, with mismanagement often cited as the root cause of their problems. Might Daniels have a key role to play as they look to fight for their first championship since 1991?