Jayden Daniels is an extraordinary athlete. He possesses rare speed, acceleration, and explosiveness in tight spaces for a quarterback standing at 6'4" and weighing 210 lbs. He's capable of scoring a touchdown on a 100-yard run without much difficulty. His changes of direction with the ball in his hands and his evasive abilities with moves are elite.  Even though he made a significant effort to bulk up during the 2023 offseason, power is not Daniels' strong point. He has a lanky frame that accentuates this deficit. I'd like to see JD slide much more often than I can see on the tapes. He doesn't have the ability to plow through opponents, and he has often been ejected from the ball on contact or seriously injured, so please, JD, slide or go out of bounds!

Daniels' throwing mechanics have improved significantly; they are less porous and more consistent than what I saw in 2022. Although he has an NFL-caliber arm and can throw off-platform and at all three levels, the biggest issues I've observed are the lack of velocity in some throws and inconsistency in accuracy. JD is capable of having very good accuracy and ball placement even on throws on the move or deep, but the issue is that he always has a moment in a game where his mechanics will inexplicably break down and completely miss his target.  I believe all the work Daniels has put in has helped him a lot, but it's not quite second nature for him yet. I would also like to highlight that he has made a lot of progress in his ball touch and release. (Quick release refers to the time it takes for the ball to be released from the throw.).

Jayden Daniels has very good footwork, which allows him to stabilize his throwing mechanics and also navigate within the pocket and escape pressure when needed. He is a big creator both inside and outside the pocket, able to throw out of structure very easily while maintaining accuracy. What was Daniels' big strength in 2023 is being a threat both inside and outside the pocket not only with his legs but also with his arm, a nightmare for opposing defenses to defend against. I find that Daniels has good pocket presence; he handles pressure well in the pocket, and although he's capable of escaping it, he can withstand that pressure to give his receiver time to complete their route. However, there's a risk in the habit of allowing routes to develop too long and not taking what's available in front of him, assuming that his legs will always make the difference. These opportunities will be far fewer in the NFL.

His decision-making process in the pocket is still developing. He has improved in this area, but he still tends to wait too long instead of taking what's available in front of him. There are still some questionable reads on short interior routes where his receivers end up open because he was too focused on the deep pass in his initial read and using his legs to create or run as a backup option. When asked to make reads on all three levels (short/intermediate/deep), he can get lost and struggle to make a decision. He has a good understanding of defenses pre-snap, but it gets more complicated post-snap where he can be fooled by disguised coverages. When the game is simplified for him with fewer reads to make, he's capable of having a quick and efficient process even on deep passes because he can manipulate opposing defensive backs.

One might wonder if Jayden Daniels is a one-year wonder, as we did with Burrow. I place a lot of importance on a player's progression, and Daniels has shown one of the best, if not the best, progressions I've seen in a quarterback. We must give respect to this incredible season that allowed him to win the Heisman Trophy; Daniels came a long way.

Jayden Daniels is therefore an extremely divisive prospect due to his extraordinary athletic abilities, but also because of his rapid progression as a passer. He will need to continue working on his technique, developing his quick decision-making process and football IQ while transitioning to the NFL and being coached properly, which is no small task. It's important to note that he also benefited from having two of the best WRs in college football, which helped in terms of confidence to allow him to develop their routes and have passing options on almost every play.
I evaluate Daniels as an early 2nd rounder but I have something in my mind that tells me to take a chance on the 1st round.