Is there anyone in the country who boosted his stock during the 2023 college football season more than LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels? After being viewed as a likely day-two selection earlier this year, the dual-threat signal caller is now viewed as a possible No. 2 overall selection in the latest 2024 NFL mock draft.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels inching closer to No. 1 overall spot in latest NFL mock draft
During the 2023 college football season, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels totaled 4,946 yards, 50 touchdowns and just four interceptions. In essence, he was by far the best player on the best offense this season and turned in one of the more statistically impressive seasons we’ve ever seen.
Now, some lucky team will soon draft him in the 2024 NFL draft in hopes that he can perform even slightly similarly to how well he did in his final year at the college level.
Notably, this exact reason has seen is draft stock rise significantly over the past six months or so. Despite being viewed as a likely day-two selection not too long ago, his Heisman season has officially brought him all the way up to No. 2 overall in the most recent mock draft by Field Yates of ESPN.
In today’s mock, Yates had Daniels landing with the Washington Commanders, a team that mightily struggled to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball in 2023.
In many ways, this has been a trend that has continued for many years, and a lot of said struggles can be attributed to a lack of consistency at the quarterback position.
Since Kirk Cousins first left the NFL franchise following the 2017 season, a whopping 12 quarterbacks have seen starting snaps, including eight in the last four seasons combined.
Whether they draft LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels or not with the No. 2 overall selection is yet to be seen. Still, regardless of the player they take, expect it to be a signal caller of some sort, as it could be the key to them finally finding some consistent play on the offensive side of the ball in what could be a major rebuild over the coming years.
Best of the rest
Notably, the Tiger quarterback wasn’t the only former LSU football player listed in today’s ESPN mock draft. Two other offensive playmakers were also listed, both of which are likely viewed as top-30 selections for the time being.
First up was wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was projected to land at No. 6 overall with the New York Giants. The Giants, similarly to the Commanders have regularly struggled to find consistent offensive play and could be in the market for a big play machine.
Luckily for them, Nabers just so happened to have led college football in receiving yards this past season and is one of the best at making things happen after the catch. Expect the star junior to go pretty high up, especially once people see the way he flies around the field during the upcoming 2024 NFL combine.
Finally, the last LSU star football player to be projected in the first round was none other than the 2023 college football leader in receiving touchdowns, Brian Thomas Jr.
In the latest mock, Thomas Jr was expected to land with the Buffalo Bills at No. 28 overall. As far as immediate success goes, few landing spots would give him a better chance at producing immediately.
As things stand, Stefon Diggs is the only big-time impact receiver expected to return. Additionally, having just hit age 30, it’s no guarantee of how many productive seasons the veteran has remaining, which very well could open the door for a young stud pass catcher for star quarterback Josh Allen to throw the ball to.
At the end of the day, these are all projections. Still, with all three former LSU players consistently being projected to the first round, it certainly bodes well for them and their futures as potential impact players at the next level.
The 2024 NFL draft will take place from April 25 until April 27 in Detroit, MI. With eight former Tigers recently invited to the upcoming combine, expect to see plenty of purple and gold representation during that three day span.
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