LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is expected to come off the board second or third in April’s NFL Draft. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner put together a masterful senior season at LSU, completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground. In today’s NFL, that level of dual-threat production from the QB position is difficult to look past.

Daniels has set himself up to have a wide range of potential new homes at the next level. While the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are selecting No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, we know the NFL Draft is a beast of chaos. Trades up and down are possible. We know the Chicago Bears are at least considering moving off the No. 1 pick. The Patriots could trade out of No. 3. Daniels truly does not know, with any certainty, where he will land.

That explains why Daniels met with 10 different teams at the NFL Combine, per Ian Rapoport. While top prospects can decide to limit their meetings in an attempt to steer the outcome in a preferred direction, it appears that Daniels is open-minded. North Carolina’s Drake Maye is meeting with “essentially the same teams,” too.

#LSU Heisman Trophy winning QB Jayden Daniels spent yesterday and today at the Combine meeting with teams such as the #Bears, #Commanders, #Vikings, #Jets, #Giants, #Patriots, #Raiders, #Seahawks and #Saints.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2024

Daniels is the mystery box prospect of this year’s draft. He doesn’t have the same consistency on his track record as Maye or projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, but there is inherent upside in any QB with Daniels’ combination of accuracy and mobility. He can extend plays with his legs, improvise at a high level, and even roast defenses on designed runs. The potential is unlimited.

Let’s rank the teams Daniels met with by fit.

10. New York Jets

Jayden Daniels would probably learn a lot from Aaron Rodgers, but the LSU product probably wants to start as a rookie. The New York Jets aren’t going to abandon the Rodgers experiment for at least one more season. If he gets his way, Rodgers will probably last a few more years in New York and the NFL. So, from Daniels’ perspective, this isn’t the best outcome.

The counterargument centers on Jordan Love, who spent two years in Rodgers’ shadow before leading the Packers to a postseason victory in his first season as QB1. Rodgers, for all his off-field oddity, is one of the smartest on-field QBs we have ever seen. His ability to process the game is unmatched. He would undoubtedly impart a ton of valuable wisdom upon Daniels, assuming the latter is receptive. It’s a simple matter of uncertainty over Daniels’ role and the logistics of New York trading up high enough to select him.

9. New Orleans Saints

Same thing. The New Orleans Saints are going to start Derek Carr next season. There is less certainty about Carr’s future with the franchise, but he is an expensive starting QB with too much on his resumé to justify benching him for a rookie. New Saints OC Klint Kubiak comes from a great system in San Francisco, so it’s easy to express confidence in the future of the Saints’ offense. On the other hand, New Orleans regularly fell short of expectations last season, in part due to a weak, oft-injured supporting cast. The looming departure of Alvin Kamara only muddies the waters further.

Daniels would be an excellent long-term centerpiece for the Saints, make no mistake. From the team perspective, there isn’t really a “bad” fit for Daniels, assuming the price of a potential trade-up isn’t overly exorbitant. That said, the path to starting in New Orleans is too murky out of the gate. Daniels deserves a chance to claim the QB1 spot and start his NFL career in a prominent position.

8. New York Giants
Now, here is a team ready to drop its expensive starter at the first sign of opportunity. Daniel Jones has not lived up to his lofty $160 million extension, and now he’s recovering from a gnarly ACL injury. The New York Giants could get lucky on the Daniels’ front — his draft night floor is probably New York at No. 6 — but in all likelihood, the Giants would need to put together a package of future picks to move up and select the LSU product.

Daniels would add more dynamism than Jones, whose size and mobility is often counterbalanced by god-awful decision-making. Daniels can stress defenses outside the pocket and generate opportunities with his sheer creativity. That is a huge boon for any offense, but especially for a team in New York’s position. Saquon Barkley’s future looms large, though. The Giants’ supporting cast on offense has a lot of holes, starting with the O-line.

Daniels would be the face of the franchise in New York, but Jones’ albatross contract still lasts through next season at least and the talent around Daniels would be suboptimal. So, there are drawbacks.

7. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots need a QB facelift more than most NFL teams, so Daniels would have a real chance to put his stamp on the organization straight away. If we are betting on the outcome, this is probably Daniels’ most likely destination just due to how the chips fell. If the Commanders pass on Daniels at No. 2, New England controls his destiny.

That said, we don’t really know what the Patriots are going to look like next season. It was past time to move on from Bill Belichick, but there are challenges that come with ousting a coach who held the organization in a vice grip for decades. It wasn’t the “Patriot Way,” it was the “Belichick Way.” How will the culture evolve post-Belichick? How quickly can 38-year-old Jerod Mayo find his footing? Those are valid questions.

The Patriots also have one of the worst WR rooms in the NFL. That can change with a productive offseason, but Daniels wouldn’t be stepping into the best on-field situation. There is undeniable appeal to leading the next generation of Patriots football, but it would be a challenge.

6. Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are on the verge of a transitional period as a franchise. Pete Carroll stepped down (was fired), with 36-year-old Mike Macdonald set to take over the reins as head coach. The new OC is Ryan Grubb, who built one of college football’s most explosive offenses last season around Michael Penix Jr. Maybe that is a not-so-subtle signal for where Seattle should allocate its QB resources on draft night.

Daniels, again, is a day-one starter type. Geno Smith is set to stick around next season, so Daniels would be starting his NFL career in the passenger seat. That’s not necessarily bad, but for a consensus top-10 prospect (and top-3 at the QB position), it’s an undesired hurdle. The Seahawks have an excellent supporting cast, though. The three-man WR corps of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba could make life easy for Daniels once he comes into the starting role.

This is a quality landing spot, but Daniels is the type of player most teams should want. We are splitting hairs.

5. Las Vegas Raiders
Aidan O’Connell was fun while he lasted, but the Las Vegas Raiders would hand the keys over to Daniels in a heartbeat. Las Vegas showed legitimate signs of life late last season after the coaching switch to Antonio Pierce. With Davante Adams entrenched atop the WR depth chart, Daniels would have the luxury of learning the NFL ropes alongside one of the best pass-catchers in modern NFL history. That’s like walking into your first college exam with the answer key.

The Raiders’ defense competes with a ravenous intensity. Pierce has built an organizational culture that actually reflects the great Raider teams of old. Dudes want to play hard for him. The talent base is there for Daniels. Josh Jacobs’ uncertain future is a dark cloud hanging over the organization, but Adams and Jakobi Meyers are a potent duo at WR. New OC Luke Getsy arrives in Vegas with a… complicated reputation, but he’s intimately familiar with dual-threat QBs after working hand-in-hand with Justin Fields in Chicago. So, it’s a strong schematic fit.

4. Chicago Bears
If the Chicago Bears take the nuclear approach and trade back from No. 1 while still moving off of Justin Fields, yes, Jayden Daniels is a strong fit. He can plug right into Fields’ role, offering similar dynamism as an open-field runner with a much stronger arm in the pocket. Shane Waldron is from the Sean McVay coaching tree. He worked with Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson over the years. He should be able to put Daniels in a favorable position. The Bears would, presumably, use the additional assets acquired by trading Fields and the No. 1 pick to address shortcomings on the O-line and in the WR room.

If Chicago can put a legitimate WR2 next to D.J. Moore and beef up the offensive line further, Daniels would be well-positioned for early success. Matt Eberflus’ defense really turned the corner over the second half of last season. Daniels is probably better than Fields — we can speak honestly. He won’t take as many boneheaded sacks and he won’t float passes nonchalantly into traffic. That’s not to say Daniels is without his own shortcomings as a prospect, but his growth arc at LSU was highly promising.

The idea of trading No. 1 and Fields is absurd at first blush, but if it lands Daniels and a metric ton of future draft capital or another high-level starter, such as Moore last season… well, it’s worth a thought.

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are, let’s all say it together, a quarterback away. New head coach Raheem Morris admitted as much to reporters. While Atlanta is expected to target Kirk Cousins or a veteran stopgap, the Falcons — armed with the No. 8 pick — are within reach of Daniels with the right trade package. It’s probably wise for Atlanta to consider all their options here. Letting a rookie head coach and a rookie offensive coordinator grow in harmony with a rookie QB (and potential franchise cornerstone) is an appealing option.

Few teams can place more raw playmaking talent around Daniels. The Falcons have invested several recent first-round picks in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. One or two more offseason additions to the WR room, and the Falcons can match any NFC team in the firepower department. Daniels would be positioned to potentially win the weak NFC South as a rookie. The Falcons went 7-10 last season despite Arthur Smith’s inexplicable play-calling and Desmond Ridder’s uniquely awful QB play. An okay rookie campaign from Daniels might be enough for the Falcons to level up.

As far as blending immediate opportunity and quality of the team around him, the Falcons are a great landing spot for Daniels.

2. Washington Commanders
Should the Washington Commanders buck conventional wisdom and select Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye with the No. 2 pick? It’s tough to say. Maye is probably the better prospect in a vacuum, but team context is so important for rookies. Washington is the ideal schematic match for Daniels. New OC Kliff Kingsbury has worked hand-in-hand with Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams. He understands how to position a dual-threat QB for success. If the Commanders want to get the most mileage out of Kingsbury, then this is the way to go.

In addition to an excellent OC-QB partnership, the Commanders have a couple young, explosive pass-catchers to help Daniels ease into the NFL. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson are dudes. The run game was terrible last season, but Daniels adds more flexibility than Sam Howell. He alone will elevate the Commanders’ ground attack, not to mention the shift from pass-happy Eric Bieniemy to a more balanced approach from Kingsbury.

The Commanders need to work overtime to improve the offensive line, and there is valid uncertainty about Dan Quinn in the head coaching chair. But, at the end of the day, there’s a reason the Commanders are a very real possibility for Daniels despite the undeniable allure of Drake Maye.

1. Minnesota Vikings
Exhibit A: Justin Jefferson.

The Minnesota Vikings are, by all indications, prepared to hand Justin Jefferson a historic contract for the WR position. He is the foundation upon which Minnesota will construct its future. There will be an adjustment period if Kirk Cousins does in fact leave in free agency, but Daniels’ dual-threat dynamism would immediately unlock new play-calling wrinkles for Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings have been one of the NFL’s most bankable offenses over the last few years. It’s a great starting point for Daniels.

In addition to Jefferson, he would have the luxury of a top-five tight end in T.J. Hockenson, as well as the rapidly ascending Jordan Addison opposite Jefferson at WR. The Vikings looked the part of a postseason threat before Cousins’ injury last season. A pivotal offseason awaits, but the Vikings should be able to put a competitive group around Daniels, even after the trade required to move up to acquire him.