Washington has needed a quarterback solution ever since Kirk Cousins left for Minnesota in 2018.
Jayden Daniels is hopefully "that dude." The Commanders selected the LSU product with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he's looked sharp in both preseason outings.
The rookie led Washington to a scoring drive in the first half and exited with a 7-3 deficit. Daniels played the first quarter and about a minute of the second before handing over the QB duties to Jeff Driskel.
MORE PRESEASON WEEK 2: Caleb Williams struggles, then wows | Mahomes behind-the-back pass
Daniels hasn't collected his first passing touchdown yet, but he's been very accurate under center. It's certainly a positive outlook for the 23-year-old quarterback — one that fantasy football owners are taking notice of.
Here's a look at Daniels' stats and highlights from his preseason performance against the Dolphins.
NEW NFL RULE EXPLAINERS: Kickoffs | Guardian caps | No chain gang
Jayden Daniels stats today
Daniels was productive in his second preseason game, completing 10-of-12 passes for 78 yards. He didn't score a touchdown, but he did lead the Commanders on a scoring drive.
He could have had two scoring drives but Washington missed a 49-yard field goal on the game's opening drive.
MORE: NFL Preseason injury tracker | RB depth charts
Below is a full look at Daniels' stats from his second professional outing:
| Stat | Total |
| Comp/Attempt (%) | 10/12 (83.3%) |
| Passing yards | 78 |
| Passing TDs | 0 |
| Rushing yards | 13 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 |
| INTs | 0 |
| Yards/attempt | 6.5 |
| Passer rating | 93.8 |
The main takeaway is Daniels' accuracy and lack of turnovers. It's a small sample size, as are most preseason outings, but it's promising to see.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Jayden Daniels highlights from Commanders vs. Dolphins
Daniels didn't have any eye-popping plays, which doesn't bode well for social media. Luckily, that's not what he's playing for.
He was poised and showed consistency in the pocket during his second preseason outing.
Every Jayden Daniels Throw and Run vs the Dolphins
— awthentik (@awthentik) August 18, 2024
10/12 for 78 yards#raisehail pic.twitter.com/2Y9K2Xy1r1
Daniels added 13 rushing yards on two carries, though he learned the importance of sliding as a quarterback.
Jayden Daniels immediately turned to Dan Quinn on the sideline after running for 13 yards and not sliding. He knew. 😂 pic.twitter.com/g0unNTxMbo
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 18, 2024
Safe to say that Daniels will be sliding from now on.
Jayden Daniels 2024 fantasy outlook
By Michael O'Hara
Rushing ability certainly unlocks a new ceiling for many quarterbacks, but it also provides a fairly steady floor for quarterbacks who heavily rely on their legs. In the past six seasons, every quarterback who has eclipsed 700 rushing yards has gone on to finish as a top-10 quarterback.
Daniels is certainly a candidate to hit this mark this season. If his college rushing production halves (47.25 yards per game), he would be on a 17-game pace of 803 yards. This is by no means a perfect projection, but it goes to show the magnitude of Daniels' collegiate rushing production.
If he can stay on the field and translate his rushing ability to the NFL, Daniels could very realistically finish as a top-10 quarterback in his rookie season, especially if he can continue to be as efficient passing the ball as he's looked in his first two preseason games. He's No. 11 in our Sporting News QB rankings, but the upside is there for more. Consider him a potential steal at his current ADP of 102.