Mel Kiper Jr. provides update on LSU QB Jayden Daniels' rising draft stock

LSU (7-3) is out of the playoff race, but quarterback Jayden Daniels still has a lot to play for. Not only is he trending upward in the Heisman Trophy race, but with a solid end to the season, Daniels could stamp himself as a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. discussed Daniels' stock on Monday, saying the fifth-year senior might be his fourth-ranked quarterback prospect by the time he finalizes an upcoming draft big board on Friday.

Per On3, Kiper appeared on ESPN's "Monday Blitz" when he said Daniels could be ranked behind USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.

Explaining Daniels' rising stock, Kiper said, "It's rare to find a game manager who is also a supreme playmaker. And that's what Jayden Daniels is. [He has] 47 touchdowns, only seven picks the last two years. He's at 70 percent completion percentage, with 19 rushing touchdowns."

While Daniels is asked to be much more than a "game manager" for the Tigers this season, Kiper's point is fair in the sense that Daniels rarely makes terrible decisions that hurt his team. 

Any franchise with a pick near the top of the 2024 NFL Draft will have plenty of holes, but a quarterback who knows how to protect the football could keep even the worst teams out of bad situations. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has shown what a difference it makes when turnovers aren't an issue. Last season, Davis Mills tied for the league lead in interceptions (15) as Houston finished 3-13-1; this year, Stroud has the lowest interception rate in the league (0.6 percent), and the Texans are in the thick of the AFC playoff race at 5-4.

Daniels saw his stock for the Heisman rise following a historic performance against Florida in a 52-35 win in Week 11. Daniels had 372 passing yards and 234 rushing yards, becoming the first player in FBS history to throw for at least 350 yards and rush for 200 yards in a game. 

ESPN's Field Yates shared a cut of five of his best plays from the outing on Monday.