How fast is Jayden Daniels? Commanders star rookie already rivals Lamar Jackson as quickest QB in NFL

After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2023, Jayden Daniels is now one of the NFL's most exciting young players for the Commanders.

Selected second overall by Washington, Daniels has brought a dynamic talent to his new team that it has lacked from quarterbacks in the recent past.

Through Week 2, the Commanders are 1-1 behind Daniels as he's put his rushing ability on full display. Watching him play, it's clear that Daniels is among the fastest quarterbacks in the league, even as a rookie. But just how fast does he run?

Here's what to know about Daniels' speed, including his reported past 40 times and in-game clocked speeds and how those stack up to other NFL quarterbacks. 

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How fast is Jayden Daniels?

While there's no precise way to compare Daniels' speed to others, we can examine his past 40-yard dash times and reported in-game speeds and see how they stack up to other quarterbacks. 

To start, here's a look at Daniels' 40 time. 

Jayden Daniels 40 time

Similar to other star quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Daniels did not run the 40-yard dash as a prospect at the NFL Combine. Daniels reportedly ran a 4.5 second dash when he was at Arizona State from 2019-2021. He participated in LSU's Pro Day before being drafted, but only completed throwing drills.

There's no way of knowing if Daniels would have run a quicker time than a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, but even that speed would rank among the fastest the NFL Combine has clocked from a quarterback.

In April, Daniels claimed he would have run a 4.25 in the 40. 

WOW… Top #NFL quarterback prospect Jayden Daniels say he would have ran a 4.25 40-yard dash.

🤯🤯🤯

THAT WOULD BE 5TH ALL TIME IN FOOTBALL HISTORY. pic.twitter.com/rULW0ssM0Q

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 9, 2024

Here's a look at the five fastest official 40 times for a quarterback at the combine, where Daniels' 4.5 seconds at Arizona State would rank just outside the top five:

For reference, Jackson reportedly ran an unofficial 4.34-second 40 in Louisville's "Speed Day" in 2017.

Because so many quarterbacks, like Daniels and Jackson, choose not to participate in the 40-yard dash at the combine, it's difficult to measure and compare their speeds. However, based on their older 40 times and the official quarterback times from the combine, both Daniels and Jackson are certainly among the fastest passers in NFL history.

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Jayden Daniels in-game speed

There's been chatter before that Daniels is capable of running 22 mph with pads on, and he's come quite close to officially hitting number that in college. 

On an 85-yard touchdown run in 2023, Daniels reportedly reached 21.8 mph.

The Jayden Daniels 85-yard TD run clocked in at 21.8 mph. #LSU https://t.co/G9hewXan4l

— Shea Dixon (@Sheadixon) November 13, 2023

In 2022, LSU coach Brian Kelly said Daniels clocked in at 21 mph during a play in spring practice. Daniels later confirmed it to the media, saying his coaches usually tracked things like speed.

"Yeah, I ran 21 miles per hour. That’s what Coach Kelly told me," Daniels said, per On3. "I mean I look at that type of stuff, but I just go out there and run.”

Who are the fastest players in the NFL?

For reference on Daniels' reported 21-22 mph in-game speeds, here's a look at the 10 fastest ball carriers in the 2024 NFL season through Sunday of Week 3 from NFL Next Gen Stats:

Daniels hasn't yet broken the 2024 list for fastest in-game ball carriers with the Commanders, but based on the quarterback's blazing speed and reported times in college, it wouldn't be shocking to see him appear on the list at some point.