Jayden Daniels Praised by Commanders Insiders After NFL Draft: 'Got Ourselves a Dude'

Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels is drawing strong internal plaudits already, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"They're saying all the right things publicly about how he studies, works hard, all those things, but when you talk to people in Washington privately, they say 'We got ourselves a dude,'" Fowler reported Saturday on SportsCenter.

"Finally, after the carousel spinning at this position for so many years. But there's talk about hey, rookie minicamp, the ball barely touched the ground, if at all, because of all the completions. The quick arm release has really stood out, compact thrower. There's a good feeling right now, they gotta play the games, of course, but high praise so far for Jayden Daniels."

Fowler added the No. 2 overall pick appears to be on track to win the starting quarterback job.

Beyond the fact he was a top-five pick, you'd expect Daniels to hit the ground running because he spent five seasons in college. While the 23-year-old obviously isn't the finished product, he's further along in his development than your typical rookie.

There's always some danger in reading into a young QB's workout reps, especially this early into the offseason. Organized team activities aren't anything close to what Daniels will see in real games.

Still, it's hard not to get excited about what he's doing so far.

The praise goes beyond what Daniels is doing on the practice field as well. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury told reporters he's "intentional in everything he does."

"He has a plan for studying. He has a plan for practice. He has a plan for watching film," Kingsbury said. "He knows what he wants to be and where he wants to go. To be that young and come in there with that mindset is real encouraging."

The Commanders' first preseason contest is Aug. 17 against the Miami Dolphins and fans are probably counting the days until they'll get to see Daniels in something approaching full speed.