Daniel Kelly spent 4 years in professional scouting with the New York Jets. He’s the revealed creator of the ebook “No matter It Takes,” the story of a fan making it into the NFL.
QB Jayden Daniels had an important season at LSU, culminating in profitable the Heisman Trophy — faculty soccer’s most prestigious particular person award. Nonetheless, having success in faculty does not all the time equal success within the NFL.
I’ve studied Daniels via my NFL-colored glasses since he performed at Arizona State from 2019-21. (He transferred to LSU in March 2022.) In truth, I’ve in all probability studied extra of his movie than any analyst, 21 video games over the previous three seasons. I vacillated between a second and fourth-round grade on him earlier than lastly touchdown on a third-round grade for the 2024 NFL Draft.
In the meantime, The thirty third Staff — created by former NFL government Joe Banner and my previous boss on the Jets, Mike Tannenbaum — put a first-round grade on Daniels. “A number of traits in his recreation are reminiscent of Lamar Jackson when he got here out of Louisville,” former Vikings GM and The thirty third Staff’s Rick Spielman wrote, referencing the Baltimore Ravens QB.
Daniels is a difficult analysis as a result of he “seemed the half” in 2023. He ran just like the wind, threw a candy deep ball and produced 135 explosive plays (h/t SBNation). Nonetheless, when projecting him to the NFL, this dude — who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 210 kilos — is approach too frail-looking to final at such a punishing place.
Being skinny is not essentially the problem — Daniels’ insatiable want for contact when he runs is the issue. All I can consider when Daniels is working is the injury that principally ended the profession of former NFL QB Robert Griffin III.
Positive, Daniels is able to sliding or ducking out of bounds, however that is not who he’s. Operating is a giant a part of his recreation. In 5 faculty seasons, he rushed 617 times for 3,307 yards and scored 35 touchdowns — 22 in two seasons at LSU alone.