Jayden Daniels makes his case to be No. 1 overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Jayden Daniels was in Baton Rouge on Wednesday for LSU‘s Pro Day, throwing in front of multiple NFL teams. The presumed No. 2 pick is favored to be selected by the Washington Commanders, heading to our nation’s capital under new head coach Dan Quinn.

However, there is a case for Daniels to be selected by the Chicago Bears with the first overall pick, likely ahead of Caleb Williams. Daniels himself gave his case, speaking on his explosive plays for LSU this past season. Unsurprisingly, there is some self-confidence that Daniels believes NFL teams will enjoy — whoever selects him.

“I mean, there’s a lot of great choices with the other quarterbacks, Caleb [Williams], Drake Maye, even JJ [McCarthy],” Daniels said via SEC Network. “But I’d say, for me, it’s just how dynamic I am as a football player — not just as a quarterback, but as a football player. Explosive plays, that’s a big thing in the game of football, explosive plays will win. So the tape speaks for itself.

“Everybody’s going to make their own decision, and they’re going to go out there and choose who they want to choose. But whoever gets me is going to get a hard worker, explosive player and someone who’s ready to learn.”

For the most part, Williams is the unanimous No. 1 pick. Ever since his sophomore season at USC, the NFL has been waiting for him and the time has finally come. Despite not participating in the NFL Combine or really doing any workouts, Williams is still the sure-fire pick.

Not every media member would take Williams if they were running the Bears, though. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has banged the Daniels drum in recent times, comparing him to last year’s No. 2 pick of the Houston Texans, CJ Stroud.

“When you watch the young man throw, the throwing motion is CJ Stroud-like,” Orlovsky said. “It’s repeatable, it’s consistent. Some of the throws he makes versus tight coverage, the other two, Caleb and Drake Maye, they just don’t make. Those guys are tremendously talented but I go back to last year, I thought Bryce was the best player or playmaker, but who was the best passer? That was CJ. Jayden’s the best passer.”

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles was on-site for the LSU Pro Day, potentially getting a look at Daniels. The Bears are also in the market for a first-round wide receiver, with Malik Nabers being an option at No. 9.

If Daniels is the first name said by Roger Goodell, it would be quite a shock. Daniels, at the very least, gave Chicago something to think about.