Magic Johnson All But Guarantees Secure Future As Washington Commanders Make Surprise Pike At NFL Draft

The Washington Commanders made a surprise move by picking Jayden Daniels in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Notably, earlier, there were speculations that the Commanders would go with Drake Maye However, the franchise co-owner Magic Johnson sees the selection of a former Heisman Trophy winner into the team as a positive sign.

“Selecting a winner like Jayden Daniels will energize the players and our fan base!” the ex-LA Lakers icon posted on ‘X’. It is worth mentioning that Magic Johnson does not see his teams just as investment opportunities. He also focuses on their on-field developments, wins and losses, and all other aspects. And it has been witnessed on multiple occasions how his team’s performance affects him as well.

The new additions to the Commanders will be crucial after a rough run at the 2023 NFL season. Not only did the team lose 13 of the 17 matches, but they closed the season with a losing streak of 8 games. And more than anyone else, Magic Johnson was devastated by his team’s performance.

“Disappointing 14-7 loss for my Commanders to the NY Giants. It’s hard to win in the NFL when you only score 7 points,” the 5x NBA champ posted on X in October last year. This was just one of the series of tweets that Magic Johnson posted during the regular season in frustration. However, the ex-Lakers icon seems to be hopeful for the team’s future with first new addition coming as Jayden Daniels.

A look-back into Jayden Daniels college career

Daniels started his college career with the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2019 and he spent three seasons with the team. While at Arizona, Daniels stacked up 12750 yards passing and 1288 yards rushing along with 32 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns. After his three seasons there, Daniels entered the transfer portal and joined the LSU Fighting Tigers in 2022.

Though his passing interceptions dropped to 7 from 13 after the switch, his touchdowns witnessed significant growth. In just his two seasons at the LSU, Daniels had 57 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns. He also surpassed both his passing yards and rushing yards at LSU as compared to Arizona.

And coming to the awards and accolades, the ex-LSU star has claimed multiple other awards last year itself. Some of these include Heisman Trophy, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O’Brien Award, and Manning Award. Apart from this, he also earned himself the 2023 SEC Offensive Player of the Year title. Now its is to be seen if the 23-year-old can back Magic Johnson’s faith in him with his continued growth.