The 2024 NFL Draft class is loaded with talented quarterbacks, and it's hard to argue that any are as dynamic as Jayden Daniels.
The LSU product enjoyed a terrific final season with the Tigers, posting nearly 5,000 total yards and 50 touchdowns while showing the elite mobility and requisite accuracy needed to be a strong starting quarterback at the NFL level.
That's not to say that Daniels is without flaws. His weight and arm strength will be concerns among NFL teams considering him atop the 2024 NFL Draft, but ultimately, his playmaking potential should make him a top-three lock.
What type of quarterback will the team that selects Daniels be getting? There may not be a perfect comparison for the unique prospect, but a couple stand out as his best- and worst-case scenarios for the NFL level.
Here's a look at Daniels' draft profile and his potential high-end and low-end NFL comparisons.
MORE NFL DRAFT: Big board top 200 | 7-round mock draft | Mock with trades
Jayden Daniels NFL Draft scouting report
Daniels is one of the most dynamic and experienced playmakers in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The five-year starter was productive at Arizona State before breaking out at LSU and putting together a dominant super-senior season with the Tigers.
Daniels is a true dual-threat quarterback, possessing elite-level scrambling skills that will instantly place him among the NFL's best running quarterbacks. He has great speed and good field vision, allowing him to find running lanes when plays break down or his receivers are well-covered.
That said, Daniels isn't afraid to hang in the pocket and find open receivers when the opportunity presents itself. He has a strong pocket presence and great accuracy to the short-to-intermediate parts of the field, which played a role in his high-end turnover avoidance throughout his college career (89 touchdowns to 20 interceptions across five seasons).
Daniels has some drawbacks. Notably, while he has an NFL-caliber arm, he doesn't have great arm strength. It may take him some time to improve as a deep-ball passer. Additionally, Daniels didn't protect himself well as a runner during his college days. He took a lot of big hits, so he will need to work on sliding and going out of bounds when appropriate to protect his slender frame. He measured 6-4, 210 pounds at the NFL Combine, but many believe his playing weight at LSU was lighter.
Still, Daniels has the combination of accuracy, mobility, and poise needed to be a solid NFL starter. That fueled his rise up draft boards during his senior season, and it's why he is viewed as a lock to be a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
2024 NFL DRAFT TOP 10 LISTS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE
Jayden Daniels stats
Daniels played three seasons at Arizona State before transferring to LSU for his final two years. He was a full-time starter in each of his five seasons, playing a total of 55 games during his college career.
Daniels performed well across his first two seasons with the Sun Devils, the second of which lasted just four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His third season was more difficult — he threw 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in that campaign — and that prompted his transfer to LSU.
Daniels was an efficient passer in his first season at LSU before he exploded during the 2023 season. He won the Heisman Trophy and racked up just under 5,000 total yards with an even 50 touchdowns.
LSU didn't quite make a College Football Playoff run with Daniels, but he led the Tigers to a more-than-respectable 20-7 record during his two seasons as a starter.
Below is a look at Daniels' passing stats from each of his five seasons with the Sun Devils and Tigers:
| Year | Games | Comp | Att | Comp % | Yds | TD | INT | Y/a | Rating |
| 2019 | 12 | 205 | 338 | 60.7 | 2,943 | 17 | 2 | 8.7 | 149.2 |
| 2020 | 4 | 49 | 84 | 58.3 | 701 | 5 | 1 | 8.3 | 145.7 |
| 2021 | 13 | 197 | 301 | 65.4 | 2,381 | 10 | 10 | 7.9 | 136.2 |
| 2022 | 14 | 266 | 388 | 68.6 | 2,913 | 17 | 3 | 7.5 | 144.5 |
| 2023 | 12 | 236 | 327 | 72.2 | 3,812 | 40 | 4 | 11.7 | 208.0 |
| Totals | 55 | 953 | 1,438 | 66.3 | 12,750 | 89 | 20 | 8.9 | 158.4 |
And here's a look at Daniels' rushing numbers with each team:
| Year | Team | Att | Yds | TD |
| 2019 | Arizona State | 125 | 355 | 3 |
| 2020 | Arizona State | 33 | 223 | 4 |
| 2021 | Arizona State | 138 | 710 | 6 |
| 2022 | LSU | 186 | 885 | 11 |
| 2023 | LSU | 135 | 1,134 | 10 |
| Totals | — | 617 | 3,307 | 34 |
NFL DRAFT RUMORS: Drake Maye | Jayden Daniels | J.J. McCarthy
Jayden Daniels NFL comparisons
Best case scenario: Lamar Jackson
Daniels has drawn plenty of comparisons to the reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and it's easy to understand why.
Both Daniels and Jackson possess good arms and short-to-medium accuracy. They were dynamic scramblers and game-changers for their college teams.
The duo also entered the NFL with concerns about their respective durabilities because of their relatively slender frames.
Stylistically, Jackson is a bit different than Daniels, especially as a runner. Jackson has a unique, Michael Vick-like blend of speed and elusiveness while Daniels' speed is more of a straight-line, downhill variety.
Nonetheless, they have similar traits, so Daniels can look to Jackson for inspiration as he strives for success in the NFL.
Jackson was overlooked as a prospect in 2018, as some believed he didn't have the passing skills needed to become a successful NFL quarterback. That caused him to slip to the end of the first round, where the Ravens made him the 32nd overall pick and the fifth quarterback selected in his draft class.
Jackson has proved his doubters wrong, showing that his mobility and elusiveness would translate to the next level. He also has emphasized protecting himself in recent years after dealing with some nagging injuries. Despite those maladies, Jackson has played 86 of a possible 99 regular-season games.
Daniels will look to find similar success with his NFL club. He won't deal with as many doubters as Jackson did, but if the LSU product can succeed similarly to the Ravens star, then the team that selects Daniels will be thrilled.
Worst case scenario: Robert Griffin III
Griffin is a cautionary tale for the team that selects Daniels and will serve as a reminder that keeping Daniels healthy will be paramount to his NFL success.
Griffin was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Baylor and became one of the faces of the mobile quarterback revolution after being the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He instantly found success as a rookie, completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions while adding 815 yards and seven scores on the ground.
It looked like Griffin was en route to enjoying a great career as a dual-threat quarterback. However, he suffered a torn ACL in Washington's wild-card playoff game against the Seahawks and was never the same. He wasn't as dynamic of a scrambler and couldn't cut it enough as a pocket passer to stick in the NFL.
Daniels' running style has drawn comparisons to Griffin's from multiple NFL executives, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Naturally, that will lead some teams to be concerned about Daniels' ability — or willingness — to protect himself from big hits.
It may also leave NFL teams wondering what would become of Daniels if he suffered an injury that hindered his mobility. Daniels' five years of starting experience may make him a bit more polished as a pocket passer than Griffin was coming out of Baylor, but Griffin was also a more proven downfield thrower than Daniels.
That's why Daniels' NFL team will want to protect him with offensive line investments while also coaching him up to avoid contact whenever possible. If he is a Griffin-like NFL player, keeping him healthy and mobile will be key to his success as a true franchise quarterback.
MORE: Where Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy land in QB-only mock draft
Jayden Daniels mock draft
Mock draft projection: No. 3 overall
Sporting News' 7-round mock draft has Daniels being selected third overall by the Patriots. New England is still searching for its long-term replacement for Tom Brady and is coming off a 4-13 season with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe as its starting quarterbacks.
Jones was traded to the Jaguars during the 2024 NFL offseason after the organization parted with long-time head coach Bill Belichick. The changing of the guard will almost certainly result in the Patriots choosing a quarterback, and it's hard to imagine them passing on Daniels if he's available with the third pick.
Daniels presently seems destined to be either the second or third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft; it just depends whether the Commanders want to choose him or Drake Maye to be their long-term starter.
