Pretty much every report has suggested that the Falcons are going to try to aggressively move up the board ahead of this year’s draft in an attempt to land one of the top quarterback prospects. Whether that’s possible or not is an entirely different story, but there’s also the question of who the Falcons might be targeting.
Most have Caleb Williams as the clear-cut #1 overall pick in the draft. However, according to Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated, many people inside the Falcons building have their eyes on a different Hesiman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels out of LSU.
“The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has been consistently slotted behind USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye by analysts, but the Falcons – or at least some evaluators on staff – side with Daniels,” Flick writes.
As an LSU alumnus, I’ve watched every snap of Jayden Daniels over the last two years, and there are a billion things to like. His athleticism is effortless, able to make chunk plays when the play breaks down, gliding away from defenders with ease. However, he’s not necessarily looking to get out of the pocket. His development as a passer from 2022 to 2023 was remarkable, particularly down the field. Daniels is the best vertical passer in this class, and when you combine that with his running ability, you get a headache for defensive coordinators.
However, Daniels’ most impressive attribute is the work ethic. Quarterbacks don’t make the kind of strides in one year that he did at LSU, putting up one of the most historically great seasons in College Football history. He’s a first-one-in last-one-out kind of player with an incredibly high football IQ and a desire to be elite.
“Jayden’s been putting in the time, putting in the work,” said LSU receiver Brian Thomas, via Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated.
“Him knowing me as a person, creating that relationship off the field rather than being on the field,” projected top 10 pick Malik Nabers said. “When you create a relationship off the field, he knows you personally, know where you come from, knows why you play the sport. I feel like that relationship carried on the field.”
There are really no red flags to Daniels’ game. He has the primary attribute common in the game’s greats today, the ability to make explosive plays when the play breaks down. Daniels can stretch the field vertically, forcing defensive coordinators to respect his passing ability, and when that happens, the field is wide open for him to make plays with his legs.
About the only knock on his game this past season was his unwillingness to slide. Daniels took a lot of big hits, which could result in serious injuries at the next level, given his slight frame. However, that is something that’s coachable. Nobody should be surprised if he turns out to be the best QB of the 2024 draft class.
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