NFL personnel explain ranking Jayden Daniels ahead of Caleb Williams

While some believe the Washington Commanders will select North Carolina's Drake Maye instead of LSU's Jayden Daniels with the 2024 NFL Draft's second overall pick, others insist Daniels, not USC's Caleb Williams, is the best quarterback in this year's class. 

"I think he’s a superstar," one NFC quarterbacks coach said about Daniels while speaking with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "I’m not alone on that. He’s a special athlete. He’s a special thrower of the football. He plays on time. So there’s the issue he doesn’t throw over the middle as much, but you watch him throw, it’s where it needs to be. Good feet. Good base. Based on the tape, I think he’s the best quarterback in the draft." 

On Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Williams as the overwhelming betting favorite at -20000 odds to go to the Chicago Bears via the draft's first pick. Nevertheless, concerns related to intangibles, immeasurables and off-field matters have hovered over Williams from this past fall through the third weekend of April. 

"If I was picking, I would pick Jayden Daniels No. 1," an AFC scout told NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. "Better athlete. I think he loves football more. I believe that he's just a better f---ing player. And I think he's on the rise and Caleb's kind of going lateral."

That scout isn't alone. On multiple occasions, ESPN analysts Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky have publicly said that Daniels is the best quarterback in his class. 

"Jayden has better wiring," an NFC scout told Pelissero. "And he's also done a better job throughout his college career of getting better. Who's to say he's not gonna keep getting better in the league?"

If the Commanders pass on Daniels at No. 2, many believe the New England Patriots would happily make him the draft's third pick. Then again, a team like the Minnesota Vikings could make New England a so-called "Godfather offer" for the right to draft Daniels at No. 3. 

"This guy plays fast, he’s a problem in the run game, and he has the arm to rip it down the field," an NFC pass-game coordinator told Breer about Daniels. "His accuracy will improve as he keeps working on his base. The debate between him and Drake Maye, to me, is not a debate. He’s so much better."

There's no indication the Bears will think twice about drafting Williams first overall on April 25. However, it's at least somewhat interesting that more than a few members of the NFL community no longer view Williams as a no-brainer No. 1 pick.