Caleb Williams may have been the first pick of the draft but it’s Jayden Daniels who is looking like a generational talent. Whether he’s the top five QB in the league right now might be up for debate, even though he is certainly playing like one, he is by far the best offensive rookie in this draft class.
The Commanders graded the LSU Alum higher than Williams because they knew he was truly special. So what makes him special? Well, for one it’s his explosive throws.
An analyst from Pro Football Focus tracked a statistic showing that Daniels is the best Power Five quarterback coming out of college in making turnover-worthy plays without actually giving up the football.
Despite frequently making big plays, Daniels has shown remarkable ball security, excelling in minimizing “turnover-worthy” plays without giving up the football. His dual-threat ability—both through the air and on the ground—makes him exceptionally difficult to defend.
Unlike other quarterbacks with strong arms, such as Brett Favre and Josh Allen, who are known for making explosive plays, Daniels is less prone to forcing mistakes when pressured. He consistently makes smart reads and delivers big throws while keeping turnovers in check. This ability to balance playmaking with precision makes him a uniquely reliable asset in high-stakes situations.
” What makes him special is that stat I keep throwing out. When he came out of college he had the best turnover worthy play rate of any power five QB that we’ve tracked since 2014. He makes the explosive happen without ever giving the football away. I don’t even know how you stop that at this point.”
Jayden’s numbers show that the analyst might be right. The Commanders have a gem on their hand and if they play their cards right now, they are worthy playoff contenders this season and more seasons to come.
Jayden Daniels’s numbers this season have been impressive
We are only halfway into the season and Daniels already looks like a real deal. As per NFL Stats, in nine games, this season, he has thrown for 1945 yards, making him 13th best in passing yards, with a completion % of 71.5, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt on 163 completions. The LSU Alum has thrown nine touchdown passes while turning the ball over only twice, joint fewest in the league alongside Josh Allen while boasting a passer rating of 106.7. But this is only half a picture.
The Commanders’ rookie QB has also rushed for 459 yards on 82 carries, only 200 yards less than the entire Cowboys rushing attack on 91 fewer carries. He also has four rushing TDs to his name. Furthermore, he has already made twenty-eight, 20+ yards throws and six 40+ yards throws, joint third best in the NFL.
The Commanders with Daniels as their QB are now 7-2 this season. This is their best start since 1996 and are currently comfortably at the top of the NFC East. They have 88.2 % of making it to the postseason. However, they still have 3-4 wins to confirm their spot and it looks easily doable from here on out.
The rookie himself is the favorite for OROY and is tied at the fifth spot in the race for NFL MVP with +1200 odds. Washington takes on high-flying Steelers this weekend, which could be Jayden’s first true test against an elite pass-rushing unit headed by T.J. Watt.