Joel Klatt believes it is 'likely' Jayden Daniels is No. 2 in NFL Draft, ranks him No. 7 on big board

Joel Klatt believes Jayden Daniels has a bright future in the NFL. The college football analyst recently revealed his top 50 players in the 2024 NFL Draft and has the former LSU Tigers quarterback ranked No. 7. But Klatt thinks Daniels will be the second player selected in this year’s draft.

“Jayden Daniels is a phenomenal football player,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. “A lot of teams are going to have Jayden Daniels all the way up there at No. 2 or No. 3. And you know what, it’s not going to be surprising to me at all if Daniels actually goes No. 2 in the draft. It’s not going to be surprising to me at all.

“I think that’s likely that he goes No. 2. He’s safer. He’s played a ton of football. He’s athletic. He makes great throws. There’s nothing to knock about Jayden Daniels. I really like his game.”

Klatt did point out one issue that could impact Daniels’ career. “I think me one question would be can he stay healthy,” Klatt asked. “With the way he plays, the style he plays, we’ve seen that with some other running quarterbacks. I’m not saying he’s just running, he’s obviously a great passer. But he will run, and when you will run, you will expose yourself to further hits.

“It remains to be seen how he’s going to be able to say on the field at the next level.”

Jayden Daniels showed balance in 2023

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy this past season because of what he did with his arm and legs. The 23-year-old threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns and he ran for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels is projected to be selected No. 2 in most mock drafts.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly hinted at Daniels being selected by the Washington Commanders who have second pick. “He’s going to be so committed to taking care of himself,” Kelly said about Daniels. “You don’t have to worry about size or he doesn’t weigh enough. Lamar [Jackson] has done a pretty good job with his size. I think [Patrick] Mahomes I wouldn’t consider him a giant. He’s gonna get the ball out to the playmakers and make plays for Washington.”

Daniels believes he should be the No. 1 pick. “I mean, there’s a lot of great choices with the other quarterbacks, Caleb [Williams], Drake Maye, even JJ [McCarthy],” Daniels said during his Pro Day 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.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.