High-end NFL Player Comp(s):Lamar Jackson, but a more refined passer
Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Robert Griffin III
Best Scheme Fit: Universal.
The shotgun spread would accentuate his rushing ability, but he
is a strong enough pocket passer to succeed in any offense.
Best Team Fit(s): Bears, Vikings, Commanders,
Raiders, Giants, Broncos
Non-bolded times - Good examples of attribute Bolded times - Average/poor examples of attribute
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For quarterbacks, a player needs to be a
realistic threat for 4,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards
to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional scarcity at
the pro level is also a part of the equation.
Positives
Elite athlete who is a threat to take it to the house on
every carry.
Despite knowing he can beat defenses with his legs most of
the time, patience is one of his virtues; he prefers to throw
first and run second.
Precision passer in the short and intermediate areas of the
field.
Consistently hits his receiver in stride and does an exceptional
job at dropping throws "in the bucket."
Routinely fits the ball into tight windows and lives to tell
about it.
Only player in FBS history to throw for 12,000 yards and
rush for 3,000 yards in a career.
Negatives
Borderline reckless at times as a runner; does not do a good
enough job of avoiding contact or protecting himself when he
knows a hit is coming.
Probably needs to add about 10-15 pounds before he can feel
confident about holding up for a full season.
Occasionally leaves the pocket a bit too soon in search of
breaking a big run.
Opposite-hash throws tend to hang in the air a bit too long.
Possesses more than enough arm strength but displays a tendency
to leave his deep ball a bit short.
Bottom Line
Daniels may not have risen to national prominence until last
season, but that should not take away from the quarterback he
became in 2023. Detractors might suggest last year had more to
do with the Tigers relying so heavily on two first-round talents
at receiver (Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.) and less to do
with Daniels taking a huge step forward. One thing is clear from
watching six of his games against some of the best defenses college
football had to offer: Daniels is more than just an "athletic
quarterback." He is very adept at picking apart a defense
from the pocket and has no problem finding the second or third
option in his progression if necessary. (To that end, his 208.0
passer efficiency rating in 2023 was the highest ever by a college
quarterback. The 2021 campaign was also the only one of his four
full college seasons in which he threw more than four interceptions.)
He is so explosive that he will likely enter the 2024 season as
one of the NFL's top-five running threats at quarterback. Athletic
quarterbacks - at the college or pro level - tend to be a bit
too anxious to tuck it and run when the first option or two are
unable to break open. Although Daniels will do that on occasion,
he is much more likely to let things develop.
Other than his slight frame (6-4, 210), which would typically
(and rightfully) lead to questions about his long-term durability
by itself, there are only two big issues that pop up repeatedly
on his tape. The first one is avoiding unnecessary contact when
he runs. Daniels puts himself in a position to take a big hit
too often and does not have the bulk right now to continue taking
that kind of punishment at the pro level. (He did improve in this
area over the course of last season, however.) The other main
concern with his tape is good but not great arm strength. Many
former and current quarterbacks can overcome the lack of elite
arm strength with anticipation (which Daniels possesses), but
it is a bit of a surprise that Daniels does not have a cannon
considering how physically blessed he is virtually everywhere
else.
The great thing about Daniels is that he would be a first-round
prospect if he was merely a pocket passer and did not possess
the game-breaking ability he has as a runner. While it may be
a bit concerning that his final college campaign (40:4 TD-to-INT
ratio) was such an outlier from his previous three full seasons,
the most reasonable explanation why 2023 may not have been a fluke
is because he had Nabers and Thomas to go along with a scheme
that catered to his strengths. Daniels deserves a ton of credit
for resisting the temptation of leaning on his rushing ability
and trusting his spatial awareness when things get chaotic in
the pocket as often as he does. He can improvise when necessary,
but there is calmness and discipline to his game that most quarterbacks
with his athleticism do not possess. It is difficult to find much
of a weakness in his game (per PFF, his 19 career fumbles across
four-plus seasons are three fewer than Caleb Williams had in 2023
alone). If durability proves not to be an issue and he can add
muscle to his frame without sacrificing speed and/or quickness,
the sky is truly the limit for him.
Doug Orth has written for FFToday since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
