Jayden Daniels unveils the most underrated trait in his game, and the numbers show that the Commanders QB is absolutely right

The Washington Commanders won the lottery when they drafted Jayden Daniels as the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He went on to shock the world in a historic season that led the Commanders to the NFC Championship game.We all saw the magic Daniels worked with his arms and legs last season, but […]

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
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The Washington Commanders won the lottery when they drafted Jayden Daniels as the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He went on to shock the world in a historic season that led the Commanders to the NFC Championship game.

We all saw the magic Daniels worked with his arms and legs last season, but there’s still one elite trait that he had that he believes is still underrated, and the numbers back him up.

Perfecting the hardest position in sports

Playing quarterback is arguably the hardest position in all of sports, and there’s so much detail to the job that people don’t realize. Daniels was asked by the NFL Network what trait he believes is still underrated in his game, and he said his football IQ.

There’s so much going on before a play, with reading a defense, making adjustments, all while a clock is ticking down over your shoulder, and that’s before the ball is even snapped. Then the defense goes into a completely different look, and you have to adjust on the fly again. When it comes to Daniels’ game, he showed in his first season that nothing fazed him, even in the biggest moments.

We saw veteran play from the rookie quarterback, and defenses simply didn’t have an answer. His ability to ID plays and make adjustments last season allowed the team to take advantage of situations and not leave points on the field.

When it came to facing pressure from a blitz, Daniels was the top QB in the league, and his best would come out in the high-pressure situations. His ability to feel where the pressure is coming from and quick twitch to get the ball out propelled him to one of the highest QBRs in NFL history against a blitz behind only Dak Prescott, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford. No wonder he won the Rookie of the Year award and is already regarded as a top-5 quarterback in the league.

The arm strength and ability to be an elite runner with his legs are very easy to notice live while a game is going on, but when you slow down the tape and break down what made the play successful, it’s the football IQ and mind of Daniels that made his rookie season one of the best ever. When it comes to presnap recognition, reading the blitz, and anticipation, Daniels is already one of the best in the league.

Now he gets to go into his second season with the NFL ready to prepare for his game, and he can show once again that he can adjust and work around any defense trying to scheme against him.

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