Dan Quinn comments prove Jayden Daniels was always Commanders' guy

It was an exhausting pre-draft evaluation process built on speculation around which quarterback would be the choice at No. 2 overall. Clues were scarce from the organization, which led those around the national media to draw their conclusions with very little substance attached.

Everyone had an opinion. But nobody had a direct tell from sources within the Washington Commanders as part of their newfound professional approach.

The Commanders ended all hearsay and rumors by selecting Jayden Daniels. Based on the comments made by general manager Adam Peters once they turned in their card, this was always the likely scenario - even if those in power kept everyone guessing until the last minute.

Commanders HC Dan Quinn has complete faith in Jayden Daniels

Daniels knows what a huge responsibility awaits him. The Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU has the chance to lead a storied NFL franchise back to prominence. He knows how long this fanbase has been waiting for a team to be genuinely proud of. The dual-threat force is going to strive with everything in his power to repay the faith shown in him next season and beyond.

While his on-field talent and experience were a huge deciding factor, the Commanders wanted more. This was a topic discussed by head coach Dan Quinn, who highlighted his tipping points were competitiveness, the ability to go above and beyond, and how the signal-caller responded in the face of adversity.

"Over the past two months when I found out what was behind the rib cage … This guy is tough. He is competitive. I'd say the things that stuck out to me [was] going to LSU and hearing about early meetings with people and all the extras that he wanted to do to become great. When you're already playing at a really good level, to go to the next spot is not easy. This is a mature guy. He's had a lot of starts, he's been through the fires and there's something that you can gain from that."

J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye were considered, but Daniels was always the Commanders' guy. Quinn's latest comments lend further weight to that notion, but they were correct to go through the entire process before making their decision final.

It's not hard to see why Quinn and Peters became infatuated with Daniels. He's a born winner with the electrifying intangibles typically associated with modern-day quarterbacks. He goes through his progression extremely well and can deliver the football with velocity to all three levels of the field.

Couple this with outstanding leadership, toughness, and charisma, Daniels has all the tools imaginable. There is a concern about his slender frame and how it might withstand NFL punishment, but the Commanders can decrease the risk effectively through coaching and schematic concepts during the offseason.

Quinn is a believer in Daniels. Peters is too. That should be enough for even the biggest skeptics among the fanbase to throw their full support behind the quarterback. After all, it's not like their assessments weren't comprehensive before deciding on their next face of the franchise.

This is an exciting new era completely disengaged from Dan Snyder's reign of terror. It's time for the team's passionate support to embrace that fact.