Every year, the NFL sees a new batch of young quarterbacks come in and take the league by storm. Last season, the main player to do so was Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders. After being selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 draft, he quickly showed that he's going to be a force for years to come.
Daniels ended up taking home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award following a strong first season with the Commanders. He was extremely efficient for a first-year quarterback, racking up 25 touchdowns to just nine interceptions while also throwing for over 3,500 yards.
Led by one of the NFL's bright young quarterbacks, Daniels managed to lead Washington to 12 wins in the regular season. This was good enough to sneak into the postseason, where they nearly pulled off a Cinderella run. Despite entering as the No. 6 seed in the NFC, they managed to make it all the way to the conference championship. Washington's luck would run out there, as they would be sent home by Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Heading into his second season in the pros, many are high on Daniels as he looks to stay on the path toward stardom. Among his biggest supporters is former NFL QB Chris Simms.
Before every season, Simms puts out a ranking of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Coming off his impressive rookie season, Daniels finds himself near the top of the list. Simmons placed the Commanders' emerging star at No. 5, trailing only Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Among the players Daniels is just ahead of includes Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts.
"You talk about efficiency in the pass game, not turning the ball over, and you couple that with 900 yards rushing on top of that? The sky is the limit," Simms said of Daniels.
After shattering expectations in year one, the bar is going to be set high for Daniels in 2025. His placement on Simms' rankings is a testament to that, as many are already crowning him a top-five player at his position. Luckily for him, the Commanders were busy this offseason helping bolster the cast of talent around him.
Back in March, Washington pulled off a blockbuster deal to bring in Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers. Between him and Terry McLaurin (when he returns from his holdout), Daniels has a pair of dynamic receivers at his disposal now.
Still with a few months until the regular season gets underway, only time will tell if Daniels lives up to his spot on this list.