2024 NFL Draft: Breaking down LSU QB Jayden Daniels’ strengths, weaknesses

National Football League

Updated Apr. 12, 2024 7:05 p.m. ET

LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels is among the premier prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Of course, though, there’s no certainty in any draft.

That said, FOX Sports college football studio analyst and former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho dissected Daniels’ strengths and weaknesses on Thursday’s edition of “Speak.”

“His football placement … is elite … particularly in the high red zone, and what he can throw better than I believe anybody coming out of the draft — including Caleb Williams — is the slot fade,” Acho said. “His ball placement in the high red zone on the hardest route to defend — that slot fade it is absolutely elite.”

“When you turn on the tape and you watch the young dude, he is pinpoint accurate,” Acho continued. “I love him from that perspective. … The issue I have with Jayden Daniels on tape is simple: he’s got to see it to believe it. What do I mean by that? He can’t anticipate as often as you would like him to. He has to wait to see a receiver be open before he throws it to him. … Jayden Daniels does a lot [of] good with his accuracy. The only thing I want to see him do better [is] anticipate.”

Daniels is coming off a breakout season for LSU in which he totaled 3,812 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, four interceptions and a 208.0 passer rating, while completing 72.2% of his passes. He also ran for 1,134 yards and 10 scores.

The 2023 season was Daniels’ second campaign at LSU after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Arizona State.

Daniels is likely to be picked by either the Washington Commanders at No. 2 or the New England Patriots at No. 3, as Williams — the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner — is expected to be selected by the Chicago Bears at No. 1. North Carolina‘s Drake Maye and Michigan‘s J.J. McCarthy are also among the quarterbacks in the mix to be selected in the top five. Meanwhile, 2023 Heisman Trophy finalists Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) and Bo Nix (Oregon) could also be selected in the first round. Daniels, Williams and Maye will be in attendance for the draft, which will be held April 25-27 in Detroit.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Daniels is +3000 to go first overall — the second-best odds of any player — and -170 to go second overall, the best odds of any player at that spot.

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