Former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels won’t have to wait long to hear his name called on Thursday night, as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is the favorite to be selected by the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall. However, if Daniels could choose his NFL landing spot, he reportedly has two others in mind.According to The Athletic, Daniels has told people that in his “dream world,” he would either reunite with Antonio Pierce and play for the Las Vegas Raiders, or play under Kevin O’Connell and replace Kirk Cousins with the Minnesota Vikings.
What’s interesting is that the Raiders reportedly attempted to trade up with the Commanders to get to No. 2 overall, per NFL Media, and the natural conclusion was that they were after Daniels. Coach Pierce and Daniels spent three years together at Arizona State, and the Raiders are in the market for a new quarterback. However, it doesn’t appear likely Vegas will be able to land Daniels. It has also been reported that the Raiders really like Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and could select him at No. 13 overall.
Minnesota would be an ideal landing spot for any young quarterback, as they would get to play under the guidance of O’Connell, and throw the football to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The Vikings swung a trade with the Houston Texans in March to acquire an extra first-round pick, which they may utilize to move up the board for a new quarterback.
While Daniels reportedly has two ideal landing spots in mind, The Athletic also said this won’t be a big issue if Washington indeed selects the 23-year-old No. 2 overall. He’s expected to be the quarterback of the future.