Jayden Daniels is the new face of Washington football
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Jayden Daniels. Photo: Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images
It's a new era of Washington football, but whether it's a good era will depend on Jayden Daniels, the electric 23-year-old quarterback the Commanders drafted this week.
Why it matters: D.C. football fans have endured two-plus decades of misery with more than a dozen starting QBs who failed to lead the team to regular playoff contention.
- The last glimmer of hope came in the rookie season of Robert Griffin III, the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft. It ended with a mishandled knee injury that derailed his career.
Yes, but: That was the Dan Snyder era, defined by on-field failure and off-field scandal. Josh Harris bought the team last year for $6 billion, the highest price ever paid for a sports team.
- In his first season of ownership, Harris didn't make sweeping changes. This offseason he did, hiring a new head coach and top executives.
Between the lines: Harris is currently enjoying a honeymoon period with fans, who were more than fed up with Snyder. But that could sour quickly if Daniels doesn't pan out.
Meet Jayden: A California native, Daniels started his college career at Arizona State in 2019 before transferring to Louisiana State University for his last two seasons.
- In his final year, he won the Heisman Trophy, college football's highest honor.
Zoom in: He's an elite athlete, able to threaten defenses equally by running or passing, a nightmare for opposing coaches. And he throws a great deep ball.
- Draft analysts compare him to Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens QB and two-time NFL MVP who has redefined the quarterback position.
Zoom out: Daniels, who the Commanders selected at the No. 2 pick, was one of a record-tying six quarterbacks taken in the draft's first round.
- He'll likely be judged against Drake Maye, the big-armed University of North Carolina QB who was taken by the Patriots at No. 3.
What they're saying: Commanders general manager Adam Peters told reporters the team's brain trust was "unanimous" in preferring Daniels over other available options.
- "To us, he was special in every way, on the field and off the field."