Commanders veteran lavishes praise on Jayden Daniels' early camp showing

Jayden Daniels is carrying a ton of expectations on his first-year shoulders. The Washington Commanders entrusted him with spearheading their exciting new era as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. That's a lot to ask of someone so young, but it's a responsibility he's taking extremely seriously.

Daniels' meticulous preparation and outstanding on-field credentials allowed him to hit the ground running upon joining the setup. The impression over early workouts was exceptional - something the former LSU star has taken through to the opening exchanges of training camp to further raise enthusiasm.

It's not easy for any rookie. Whether you're a top-end pick or lower down the depth chart, everyone must find their path and fight for involvement. The Commanders are making Daniels earn the No. 1 spot, splitting first-team reps with veteran free-agent signing Marcus Mariota initially. However, it would be a bombshell of epic proportions if he wasn't under center in Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler lavishes praise on Jayden Daniels

The Heisman Trophy winner is leaving a good impression on teammates, too. Veteran running back Austin Ekeler lavished praise on the signal-caller, highlighting his inquisitive nature and emerging leadership as traits that are coming across encouragingly during an interview with NBC4 Sports.

"Super proud of him [Jayden Daniels] and how he's been handling himself. It's always hard for rookies to come in and lead right away, just because they're trying to gain the respect of the team and trying to find their way. But he's been showing signs of getting that. For example, we've been running a lot of choice routes, moving me around. He's been talking to me after the play 'Hey, what did you see on this?', and that's exactly what I want to hear from the quarterback."

- Austin Ekeler

Ekeler's been around a couple of good quarterbacks throughout his career - Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert - so he knows what one looks like. His glowing reference to Daniels' increasing familiarity and heightened confidence cannot be seen as anything other than encouraging.

There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, but all signs are pointing up. Daniels is still making some rookie mistakes, which isn't surprising. But when everything clicks, it's special to watch.

Daniels is only going to get better. He's still learning on the job. But the fact he isn't afraid to seek counsel from his veteran teammates and is putting in the hard yards behind the scenes represent tremendous first building blocks en route to potential greatness.

The mechanics, how quickly the football leaves his hands, pocket mobility, and ability to go through progressions quickly are all traits normally associated with productive NFL quarterbacks. Much will depend on how the offensive line holds up, but having a dynamic running back tandem in Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. to take the heat off is only going to assist his cause.

It's been a long time since the Commanders had a bonafide superstar at football's most crucial position. Ekeler and others are starting to believe Daniels can be exactly that.