Despite the weirdness of last week, I still believe the Washington Commanders will draft Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall. He’s a match for Kliff Kingsbury’s system, he is as dynamic a playmaker as Washington has seen since rookie Robert Griffin III and, quite simply, he’s the second-best quarterback on the board for most teams I speak with.
The worst-kept secret in the league right now is that Daniels and the Las Vegas Raiders desire one another. Antonio Pierce was with Daniels at Arizona State, and sources say Pierce would love to have Daniels in Las Vegas. But there’s no transfer portal in college. As one GM said recently, in the NFL, “the rabbit has the gun.”
One of Daniels’ representatives said last week the former LSU star “will be happy to be a part” of whichever organization drafts him.
Because it’s doubtful the Raiders could convince the Commanders to trade the pick, sources find it hard to believe Las Vegas would deal up from No. 13 for any other quarterback. It would be similar to how the Tennessee Titans were interested in the No. 3 pick from the Arizona Cardinals last year if the Houston Texans didn’t select C.J. Stroud. But once the Texans took him second overall, the Titans had no interest in moving up to No. 3.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye could be the third quarterback — and third player — selected Thursday night. He has the tools, but one quarterback coach called him “raw as sh–” and said he needs to clean up his footwork. One thing I’ve heard around the league is that Maye, more than any of the other top quarterbacks, would benefit from sitting a year. “He’s a prime candidate for a redshirt year,” one coach said.
That may be hard in a league where rookie quarterbacks are starting earlier than ever before (minus the Green Bay Packers, of course.) But if Maye goes to the New England Patriots, perhaps he could sit behind veteran Jacoby Brissett while New…
..
