The Washington Commanders have a lot of excitement brewing around them and the presence of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is a big part of it.
His electric play style is what immediately drew Commanders fans and media to Daniels during the pre-draft process, but it's his personality and work ethic several team members have said led to the selection at No. 2.
Since then, Daniels has been working to impress his coaches, teammates, and to earn the spot most in Washington assume he'll get as the franchise's next starting quarterback.
For wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Daniels will be yet another new starting quarterback in what has been a revolving door of new names and faces throughout his relatively short career. The franchise is hoping this one sticks around for a while, and McLaurin is liking what he's seeing from Daniels so far.
"He's very charismatic. I think he's really personal when he walks into the building, he just has a calm demeanor about him. He's very approachable," McLaurin said of his quarterback. "So guys have no problem whether you're an offensive lineman, receiver, running back, talking to him, communicating what the objective is of this play or what he's seeing or what he's thinking. And he came in really prepared. I feel like when he was getting one's reps or where he's working with the twos, he does a great job of getting the most out of the reps that he needs to accomplish. I think he's going to be a really good player because of the time and the work that he puts in. I don't think I've had a young quarterback that really has come in and within the first week he's like, 'Hey, can we get this route,' or 'Let me get this rep after practice.'"
"He came in really prepared. I feel like when he was getting one's reps or where he's working with the twos, he does a great job of getting the most out of the reps that he needs to accomplish."Terry McLaurin on Jayden Daniels
The more we hear about Daniels being in command, comfortable, taking charge, or whatever positive description is being used of how he's performing through rookie minicamp, OTAs, and now into his first mandatory minicamp, the more buzz builds around him.
That buzz was never louder than when Daniels was seen leading the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills for the first time in front of attending media. That excitement was something you could feel on the practice field Tuesday. And it's something McLaurin is feeling as well.
"It's exciting for me because that opens the door where they got a lot on their plate, but at the same time when you know there's that open door of communication and he's not afraid to get that work in before or after practice or talk through things, it makes the growth part a lot quicker," McLaurin continued. "He's very talented, but he's extremely humble as well. And I'm looking forward to see how he continues to grow."
