Jayden Daniels is the latest talk of the town! It’s been merely a couple of months since the Washington Commanders drafted the quarterback as the second overall pick, and the LSU product is already winning hearts in the stadium.

While the Heisman winner already had everyone impressed with his prowess on the field with his 3,812 passing yards, four interceptions, and 50 total touchdowns last year, it’s a c ompletely different aspect of the athlete that has created a buzz in the NFL. Daniel’s personality, discipline, and dedication to the sport seem unparalleled, and analysts and veterans alike are gushing about the rookie.

Jayden Daniels is “checking all the boxes“

Amidst the buzz, Daniels has chosen to not let the fame go to his head. When asked how it felt to be a ‘star’ in Washington, the rookie had a modest answer. “I mean, I ain’t a star quarterback yet,” said the QB. “I got a long way to go. I’m a rookie, to answer that.” While the LSU alumnus remains grounded despite the fame, two former Commanders players didn’t shy away from giving QB the praise he deserves.

On the Command Center podcast, former WR Santana Moss talked about Daniels’ personality off the field and how he has won over his teammates during the draft. “Every time I listen to one of the guys that he played with, that’s what I’m hearing. He’s a team, -he’s a fun guy to be around. Even through the draft process, all these guys who worked out, everybody was like -he was one of those guys everybody gravitated to him.”

Former tight end, Logan Paulsen also shared an interesting habit of Daniels that had him impressed. “And again, I think back to those that thing he said in our interview where he’s like, “I got up at 5 AM got guys to come, work out with me at 5 am.” Like it takes a special kind of dude to do that, and so obviously the guys here have talked about how much they like, and they’re excited about him. I think they’ve done a great job checking all the boxes.” Paulsen isn’t the only one to be impressed by the QB’s punctuality and discipline, but he has also wowed one of his current teammates, who previously owned the earliest-to-practice spot!

Veteran Jonathon Allen shower Daniels with praises

Jonathon Allen has spent seven years in the Commanders, and there is one thing he takes pride in: turning up among the first ones to show up to practice. However, a newly drafted rookie is giving him a run for his money! “He always beats me here,” expressed Allen, as per the team’s official site. “I think that’s pretty cool. He stays late. He does everything you want out of your No. 2 overall pick.” This extreme punctuality of the quarterback has also been compared to the NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who was also known for a rigorous practice routine.

The NFL is in a different ballpark from college football, and it can be daunting for a young rookie to be around veterans who’ve been around the league for a long time. Not for Daniels, though! The rookie seems to be holding himself up among his older teammates, and this was testified by his fellow player Marcus Mariota. “I think he really moves well, throws the ball well, and for a young guy that’s coming in, seems to really like command the offense, and I think that’s important,” he said. Mariota further added, “I think that’s very important in the quarterback position to be able to, like, stand in front of these guys, especially older players, and kind of nail it and say, ‘I got this, I got it figured out.’ So, I think he’s done a great job of that.”

That being said, Jayden Daniels seems to be off to a promising start in the Washington Commanders. Having already attracted the attention and praises of former players, teammates, and veterans, the quarterback will have all eyes on him as he steps into the 2024 season.