Jayden Daniels and different LSU draft-eligible gamers took the highlight on the faculty’s Professional Day, giving scouts their first look for the reason that common season finale.
Daniels, the reigning Heisman winner, opted out of NFL Scouting Mix drills however confirmed off his throwing expertise at Professional Day.
Following the occasion, Daniels had scheduled conferences with a number of NFL groups, together with the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, to mark his first interactions with them.
Daniels is projected to be one of many high three picks within the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, and can earn loads of reward as one of many high quarterback prospects this spring.
Consequently, the New England Patriots, who had the third total choose, had a big presence at LSU’s Professional Day.
Notably, Director of Scouting Eliot Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt had been among the many 9 Patriots staffers in attendance, underscoring their curiosity within the gifted quarterback.
LSU’s Professional Day drew a number of head coaches from quarterback-needy groups, together with Antonio Pierce of the Raiders, Dan Quinn of the Commanders, Brian Daboll of the Giants and Matt Eberflus of the Bears.
Moreover, Commanders GM Adam Peters and Patriots normal supervisor Alonzo Highsmith had been in dialog with Daniels in the course of the occasion, indicating that these groups had robust curiosity within the gifted quarterback prospect.
Whereas all of those groups have excessive draft picks, the Raiders, who will not be within the high 10, stand out. Pierce’s connection to Daniels from their time at Arizona State provides an intriguing dimension to the curiosity.
Considerations about top and weight have overshadowed Daniels, who was listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 kilos throughout his Heisman-winning season.
On the Professional Day he maintained the identical weight, however he was an inch shorter: 6 ft 4 inches. His fingers, measuring 9 3/8 inches, had been smaller in comparison with some mixed opponents.
Nevertheless, they exceeded that of different projected top-10 picks like Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy.
At LSU’s Professional Day, Daniels showcased his expertise with greater than 50 passes, demonstrating quite a lot of throws from brief to deep routes.
Becoming a member of him was one other high prospect, Malik Nabers, a projected top-10 choose and one of many consensus top-three potential receivers.
Nabers, who stood 6 ft tall and weighed 199 kilos, impressed with a lightning-fast 4.35-second 40-yard sprint, adopted by a 4.40-second run, together with a exceptional 42-inch vertical bounce.
Nabers’ spectacular efficiency would have positioned him among the many high performers of the mix, together with his 40-yard sprint time rating fourth amongst receivers and his vertical bounce rating third.
Moreover, his broad bounce of 10 ft, 9 inches would have ranked sixth amongst prospect receivers on the mix.
After Nabers’ superb 40-yard sprint, Daniels rushed over to have fun together with his standout receiver from final season, acknowledging Nabers’ exceptional pace.
Nabers’ standout efficiency has drawn curiosity from groups together with the Patriots, Giants, Jets, Titans and Jaguars, who met with him on Tuesday.
The Cardinals, who’re fourth total, are additionally intrigued and have scheduled a gathering with him after the occasion. Regardless of projections favoring Marvin Harrison Jr., Nabers is making a robust case as a candidate for the highest receiver within the draft.
LSU has extra extensive receiver expertise, with Brian Thomas Jr. specifically, a sooner 40-meter dash than Nabers. Nevertheless, Thomas didn’t take part in athletic drills on the Professional Day.
LSU’s Professional Day was one of many highlights of the week, with the following Professional Day in North Carolina on the schedule, that includes Maye. Many contributors on the LSU occasion are anticipated to journey to Chapel Hill to look at one other high quarterback prospect within the 2024 NFL Draft.
