The public hasn’t gotten a chance to see what No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels can do on an NFL field quite yet. But the Washington Commanders have seen enough from their rookie to anoint him as the team’s starting quarterback.
However, on Saturday, we’ll finally get our first chance to witness the Heisman winner play, even if it’s just a preseason matchup with the New York Jets. Yet, the Jets have been scrimmaging against the Commanders this week in training camp, so some of Gang Green’s players have already gotten a firsthand look at the former LSU superstar. One is already very impressed with what he’s seen.
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Sauce Gardner is a big believer in Jayden Daniels
As a two-time All-Pro despite having played just two seasons, Sauce Gardner is already one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks. Maybe, someday Jayden Daniels will join him among the NFL’s elite players. But Gardner believes the Washington QB is already off to a strong start.
“He gonna be nice. We were just joking with each other. I know LSU, I know they talk a lot, so you know, when we first lined up, I was talking, like ‘He young,’ I was just trolling him and you know, he was smiling out there. I just told him, ‘You’re going to be real good man.’ Feels great to just be able to line up against him. As a corner, you want to go against a rookie quarterback, but he’s one of those guys, like, he’s developed, obviously. You know, he was drafted that high, but he had some great throws out there.”
Sauce Gardner on first impression of Jayden Daniels
If Daniels can spread the ball around to the likes of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Zach Ertz while displaying his trademark rushing ability, he’ll be well on his way to competing for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Yet, the Commanders hope Daniels can make an impact in the win column after going 4-13-1 last season. It was their second consecutive last-place finish in the NFC East.
The competition won’t get any easier in the East this season, but Daniels has sky-high potential. If he’s the real deal, he might just be able to turn the Commanders into a contender, quickly. We saw it last year with CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans, who won just three games the season before. But rookie quarterbacks rarely have such a significant impact. Maybe Daniels can buck that trend too.
Related: See where Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings