The Washington Commanders have finally appeared to find their long-term answer at the quarterback position with Jayden Daniels having one of the best rookie years of any signal caller in NFL history.
Yet, one stat from Daniels in his first year in the league has him setting the gold standard amongst all quarterbacks from last season.
Jayden Daniels Already Showcased Elite Dual Threat Production in Rookie Year
Daniels showcased the poise of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback combined with the dynamic playmaking ability that reminds fans of Lamar Jackson or Michael Vick… as a rookie.
If you need some additional data to validate the second portion of that statement, then PFF NFL Analyst Nathan Jahnke rushing numbers as a scrambler help paint the picture as to why Daniels was so dynamic in 2024 and is already in the conversation for best rushing quarterback in the league.
Jahnke wrote, “Daniels finished fifth in both fantasy points and fantasy points per game as a rookie thanks to his high rushing volume… His 148 rushing attempts and 891 rushing yards finished second at the position, as Jalen Hurts earned the most attempts and Lamar Jackson accumulated the most yards. He was particularly impressive in how often he scrambled, finishing with 4.4 scrambles per game that led to 35 scramble yards, which were both the best for quarterbacks.”
If you watched Daniels during his college days, his success as a runner shouldn’t come as a surprise. Yet, the LSU product’s success as a passer in year one was a bit more unexpected.
Jahnke touched on Daniels’ surprising success as a passer last year writing, “While his passing volume wasn’t high, he graded very well as a passer. His 83.0 passing grade was the best by a rookie quarterback in the last decade, as was his 88.2 rushing grade for a quarterback. He was elite on passes outside of the pocket or when he was under pressure.”
Daniels’ final stats from his rookie year were 3,568 yards and 25 scores through the air to go with 891 yards and six scores on the ground — which made him one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league in year one.
Did the Acquisitions Do Enough to Raise Jayden Daniels Ceiling in 2025?
Another reason Daniels’ instant success in the NFL was a bit unexpected was due to the perceived weaknesses on the Washington roster entering last season. Some of those roster shortcomings weren’t as bad as expected, but having a dynamic dual threat superstar under center tends to mask some issues at wide receiver and offensive tackle.
Well, Commanders GM didn’t sit on his hands this offseason by aggressively trading for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil this offseason, which Jahnke thinks could help Daniels in year two.
Jahnke added, “The team traded for Deebo Samuel to be the new No. 2 wide receiver. The Commanders were above average in yards per attempt on deep, intermediate and behind-the-line-of-scrimmage passes but not short passes… The Commanders also traded for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. While Daniels was only slightly better without pressure than with pressure, those changes generally get bigger on larger sample sizes. It will be up to Daniels to avoid taking so many sacks, but Tunsil will also help.”
Daniels may not have to rely on league-leading scrambling production with improved protection and an elite underneath YAC threat to distribute the ball to this season, which feels far more ideal than asking your franchise player to frequently put himself in harm’s way.
Ultimately, life should be easier for Daniels in 2025… but it is nice to know he is already capable of taking matters into his own hands when necessary.
