Brian Kelly and QB Jayden DanielsLSU QB Jayden Daniels and Coach and QB Jayden Daniels. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly may have just revealed which team will take quarterback Jayden Daniels in next month’s 2024 NFL Draft.

The consensus top three quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft class are USC’s Caleb Williams (a virtual lock to go first overall to the Chicago Bears), Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Speaking at Daniels’ Pro Day, Kelly seemingly leaked which team will take his former superstar quarterback in the draft:
“He’s going to be so committed to taking care of himself that you’re not going to have to worry about size or he doesn’t weigh enough…He’s gonna get the ball out to his playmakers and make plays for Washington.”
Here is the video of Kelly’s comments that have quickly gone viral:

The Washington Commanders have the No. 2 selection in the draft. For a while, the aforementioned Maye was the overwhelming favorite to go to Washington in that spot, but Daniels is now listed as the odds-on favorite at several sportsbooks.

Interestingly, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero stated earlier this week that most rival team executives he spoke to believe J.J. McCarthy will actually be the No. 2 pick by Washington. The national championship-winning QB has seen his stock rise considerably after a strong Pro Day outing last week.

Jayden Daniels Would Ideally Fit Washington’s Offense

The Commanders hired ex-Arizona Cardinals and Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury to serve as the offensive coordinator under Dan Quinn. Kingsbury, of course, did wonders with Patrick Mahomes in college and had some success with dual-threat QB Kyler Murray in Arizona.

A Kingsbury-coached offense is built around a dual-threat quarterback. Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, threw for 40 touchdowns and rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final season of college football.

If Daniels goes to the Commanders, he’ll have a dynamic receiving tandem of Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, with free agent signing and touchdown machine Austin Ekeler as his lead back. Add it all up, and the 23-year-old Daniels just feels like the perfect choice to lead Kingsbury’s offense in Washington.