Lamar Jackson vs. Jayden Daniels stats: How Commanders QB's rookie season compares to Ravens star's

The dual-threat quarterback has found a home in the NFL, thanks in no small part to Ravens standout Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, much like his football forerunners like Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick and Cam Newton, can vanquish opposition defenses in a few ways. Some days, he wants to stand tall in the pocket and fire bolts to any one of Baltimore's host of pass-catching options. Other times, he yearns to displace oncoming attackers with a feint or a drop of the shoulder.

Such a skill set helped Jackson, 27, capture two MVPs in his first six seasons in the league. It's also inspiring a new generation of football wunderkinds, including Commanders starlet Jayden Daniels.

Daniels, 23, has been the talk of the town around NFL circles in recent weeks. His play is the biggest reason why. The rookie has flashed veteran-like poise in his first five professional games, bringing Kliff Kingsbury's offense to heights many couldn't have imagined in the process.

The proof is in the pudding: Washington is 4-1, a world away from the cellar in which the team dwelled in 2023.

Jackson and Daniels are part of a new crop of multifaceted talents conjuring magic spells through the air and on the ground. It hasn't always been easy for either passer. But it's certainly been entertaining, both for them and for your average NFL onlooker.

With a matchup between Jackson and Daniels looming in Week 6, what better time than now to assess how the impressive archers compare to one another? Here's what you need to know.

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Lamar Jackson vs. Jayden Daniels stats

Daniels has enjoyed a historic start to his career, proving as efficient as any passer in recent memory.

His numbers stack up well to a great many first-year hurlers; few rookie passers have proven as proficient with both their arm and legs in their first season as the LSU alum.

Here's a look at how Daniels' numbers compare to that of Jackson when he was in his maiden season. Note that Daniels has been given a license to express himself in the passing game. Jackson's journey to throwing excellency took another year to come to fruition; as a first-year, he looked far more comfortable out in open field.

In nearly every major category, Daniels is outshining the rookie version of Jackson. His passer rating and completion percentage dwarf that of the Louisville alum, while he looks well on his way to surpassing Jackson in passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns come the end of the campaign.

MORE: Commanders, Ravens rise in Week 6 power rankings ahead of Beltway showdown

A disparity in Jackson and Daniels' rookie year counting numbers are to be expected. Assuming Daniels stays healthy, he'll likely more than double Jackson in terms of first-year starts. Baltimore's supernova rode the bench until the final weeks of the season, only taking over the starting spot when Joe Flacco went down with injury. He proceeded to lead the Ravens to a surprise playoff berth, a platform upon which he built his wondrous career upon.

There's other differences, too. Jackson entered the league at 21, fresh off a glimmering three-year spell at Louisville. Daniels, meanwhile, will be 24 by the end of the season. He spent five years in college compared to Jackson's three.

Additionally, Jackson — the No. 32 pick in the 2018 draft — was entering a situation where Baltimore had an established, Super Bowl-winning QB in its ranks in Flacco. Washington, on the other hand, very well could have had a tumbleweed twirling through the wind in the QB room prior to Daniels' selection.

Despite those discrepancies, though, Daniels is aiming to follow a similar path to that of his dual-threat predecessor, Jackson. He can hold his head high when comparing his early-season performances to other standout QBs, including Jackson, who appears the league's leading MVP candidate through five weeks: