Washington Commanders select QB Jayden Daniels with No. 2 pick in 2024 NFL draft

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels has an NFL home.

The Washington Commanders selected Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft Thursday night. Daniels is Washington's highest quarterback pick since the club chose Robert Griffin III No. 2 overall in 2012.

The 6-4, 210-pound LSU product was a consensus top-three quarterback in this year’s draft.

Daniels amassed 3,812 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 1,134 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on his way to becoming the third player in LSU history to win the Heisman Trophy. He finished his 2023 campaign with a 208.0 passer rating, the highest in FBS history. Daniels’ super senior season also earned him AP College Football Player of the Year and many other top honors. He was a consensus All-American.

Daniels spent his first three years collegiate years at Arizona State before transferring to LSU in 2022. He produced 12,750 passing yards, 89 touchdown passes, 3,307 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns in 55 career college games. He’s the only player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in a collegiate career.

“My journey overall to get to this point. I walked my journey. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I wouldn’t trade how I got here, how long it took or anything like that,” Daniels said at this year’s NFL scouting combine. “When I transferred, I just wanted to go out and have the opportunity to compete against the best. The SEC, you play the best competition and the best football.”

The Commanders are getting a dual-threat quarterback who plays with good anticipation and thrived throwing short and intermediate passes during two standout years in Baton Rouge.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters said the team would likely stay put at No. 2. On Thursday, the Commanders stayed true to their word and drafted their next franchise quarterback.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayden Daniels picked by Washington Commanders in 2024 NFL draft