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A couple of NFL teams are looking to build themselves from the ground up. What better way to do that than hiring a quarterback who can do it all? That’s where Jayden Daniels comes into the picture. With more than 1,000 rushing yards to his name this season, he is drawing a lot of attention from the NFL Scouts. Now that the combine is over, the real drafting race is on.
Daniels’ run game has garnered a lot of attention throughout his career. Now, the LSU QB is drawing comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, and a lot of people believe he can join the NFL, but for a completely different role! A post from MLFootball hints toward similar grounds, forcing people to scratch their heads and think about it.
Jayden Daniels is more than what meets the eye!
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The post from MLFootball is trying to compare LSU’s Jayden Daniels with Patrick Mahomes. Per the post on X, an NFL scout thinks that the Heisman winner may very well join the NFL as a running back. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody like him. He could be a running back.” This came forth per Bob McGinn’s conversation with an NFL scout. The claim might not be completely unwarranted and may have some truth to it.
LSU QB Jayden Daniels could be a running back in the #NFL and is the closest thing to Patrick Mahomes, a longtime scout said.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody like him. He could be a running back.“
(Via @BobMcGinn) pic.twitter.com/fcQl3sUPDW
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 11, 2024
Jayden Daniels had 1,134 rushing yards in the 2023 season. He had 135 carries and scored 10 touchdowns in the season. Those are big-league numbers. Passing-wise, he was 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns in the same season with a 72.2% pass completion rate. While his passing numbers are on par with his class of QBs like Caleb Williams, Penix Jr., and such, none of the athletes came any close to his rushing numbers.
Jayden Daniels just made CFB history…
He is the first FBS player to have 350 passing yards & 200 rushing yards in a game. pic.twitter.com/FMrIlZcluz
— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) November 12, 2023
Daniels recorded a 4.33 second 40-yard dash time in the NFL combine. He is 6’4” weighs 210 pounds and has a sizeable wingspan. The post from MLFootball compared Daniels to Patrick Mahomes in the aspect of college performance. Yet, as far as the numbers go, that comparison could be a bit far-fetched.
Is Jayden Daniels similar to Patrick Mahomes on paper?
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During his best season at Texas Tech, Patrick Mahomes had a 5,052 passing yards season in 2016, with 41 TDs. Jayden Daniels’ best season was in 2023 where he had 3,812 passing yards with 40 touchdowns. This means that at their best, Mahomes definitely holds the edge. However, yardage doesn’t matter because Daniels covered his slightly less impact in the passing department with his rushing abilities.
Jayden Daniels now has 220 rushing yards vs. Florida. pic.twitter.com/P1lbfOfHgK
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) November 12, 2023
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Throughout his college career, Mahomes couldn’t move past 1,000 rushing yards. while Daniels had 1,134 rushing yards and rushing TDs in just one season. What Daniels doesn’t makeup in passing, he covers when he rushes the ball. Hence the statement that the LSU QB could join the NFL can still be entertained, but it would be highly anomalous.
