Everything LSU QB Jayden Daniels Said at the NFL Combine
LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels continues working through the NFL Draft process as he goes through interviews during this week's NFL Combine.
Daniels met with the media to discuss the process.
Here's everything the Heisman Trophy winner said:
On how he’s grown as a football player:
“I’d just say my growth overall as a person, not just as a football player. From 18 to finishing my last game at 22. It’s been a long journey but my growth as a person, that’s the biggest change.”
Playing in the northeast:
“I’m just gonna be blessed whenever I hear my name called. It’s a blessing that as a kid I dreamt of wanting to play in the NFL, wanting to be a part of this fraternity. That dream will be a reality real soon.”
How Malik Nabers helped him become a better player:
“He’s a great person outside of football. He’s a hard worker and competitive. Two competitive people going at it trying to push each other each and every day. That’s my brother, I love him to death and without him I wouldn’t be in a situation like this.”
Favorite route to throw to him:
“It’s pretty obvious but the slot fade, just throw the fade ball to them.”
On meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders:
“It was great going in there. I already knew coach Antonio Pierce but just overall meeting the whole staff, it was great energy and great to sit down and talk ball.”
On playing under Pierce:
“I could envision myself playing anywhere so obviously I know him, was at ASU (Arizona State) with him but not even just him. I’m just grateful to be in this position with this opportunity.”
On taking big hits:
“Going forward taking fewer hits but that’s just the competitive person in me. I always want to fight for extra yards, a little too greedy sometimes but God blessed me to be able to bounce back up.”
Does he feel like he should be No. 1 overall pick:
“I just wanna go to the best situation. If that’s the first pick, if that’s the 32nd pick. I’m just blessed overall just to be here and wherever I hear my name called I’ll be happy.”
Unexpected things that came up during team interviews:
“I wouldn’t say there was anything crazy. I was just able to go in there and talk ball with everybody, talk about my life and obviously the interview stuff. But it wasn’t anything crazy that got thrown at me.”
Meeting with the New England Patriots and impression:
“It was good just being able to put a name to a face. I know the names of those guys but just being able to sit down and have a human contact with them, talk eye to eye with them, it was great to talk and get to know them and they get to know me.”
Going to a team not well suited for immediate success:
“Wherever God puts me at, wherever I hear my name called is the best situation for me. I’m gonna get there and put my head down and work. I’ll leave that up to the team with everything else but obviously they see something in me and I’ll be forever grateful.”
What inspired him to play football:
“My dad played football at the division one level, he coached me so football has always been in my hands. He inspired me and then just going from there I fell in love with the game.”
On importance of going to SEC and LSU:
“It was very important. My journey overall to get to this point, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in how I got here, how long it took or anything like that so when I transferred I wanted to have the opportunity to compete against the best. In the SEC you play the best competition, the best football so having that opportunity to go out there and get better each and every day.”
Anything stand out on Washington:
“Just how cool the whole staff was. Dan Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury, all those type of guys. I was just sitting there really getting to know people. You can see them on TV and see everybody coaching but just having a conversation with them was the coolest part to me.”
On meeting with the Chicago Bears:
“From them it’s just being able to go out there and really just envision myself if I do get drafted to Chicago. All the interviews is really just about talking ball, you don’t really get to talk ball with NFL coaches too often so growing up, you want to get to this point and it’s finally real so it’s a surreal moment for me.”
Impressions of meeting with Sean Payton, Broncos:
“Sean Payton obviously what he did in New Orleans, I was down the road so you could hear people still talk about those days. But being able to see the offensive mind that he is, the guru and just sitting there and talking football with everybody.”
How do you know when to run or to pass?:
“There’s a time and place for everything. For me it’s an internal clock. You don’t wanna take a sack. There’s guys out there like I played against Dallas Turner and guys like that who are very fast. You try to get away from those guys. Everybody wants to run down the field, maybe you can pick up an extra few yards but other than that, it’s an internal clock. You go through the progressions in your head and you gotta check the ball down or get out of there.”
On comparisons to Lamar Jackson:
“Lamar is a great player. I don’t like to compare myself to anybody but there are some similarities at what he’s doing. He’s playing at a very high level so kudos to him. He’s the goat of this running and throwing and I’m just following suit behind.”
On being a mobile quarterback in college vs the NFL:
“Like I said, it’s a time and place for everything. On offense you wanna stay ahead of the chains, you don’t wanna give the defense a chance to pin their ears back and come get you. Staying ahead of the chains, even if it’s a quick decision and being able to check it down. Get three or four yards and learning the ins and outs of the NFL game.”
Rating in the NCAA game and who will be on the cover:
“That’s a great question. Hopefully it’ll be high, hopefully I’m in it. Maybe coach Nick Saban because he retired, maybe it’ll be him.”
Why he think he improved so much this past year:
“How I approached the offseason not just personally but with my guys. We took it very seriously, we had a goal in mind and wanted to be the best offense in the country. That’s something you have to set out each and every day and focus on the details, the preparation. You gotta push each other each and every day and that’s what we did.”
On playing right away“It’s pros and cons to everything. I’ve been playing my freshman year of high school, my freshman year of college I started. It’s something I’m accustomed to so it’s something that whatever the staff and organization feels is best for me, that’s their plan for me, we’ll sit down and talk about it.”
What stands out about Brian Thomas:
“Brian Thomas, great dude, loves football. He’s very quiet but he’s very competitive also. He’s not as loud as Malik but when he gets going, he’s very competitive.”
What part of Malik’s skill set translates to NFL:
“He’s very physical, he’s very explosive and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the first person tackle him after he catches the ball.”
Something special about being the No. 1 overall pick:
“There’s something special about it. Being viewed as the No. 1 overall player for that draft, the No. 1 overall pick, there’s some significance to it. But it doesn’t hold a lot of weight to me.”
On the Atlanta Falcons interview:
“Atlanta, what they’re doing over there, getting a new regime over there and going out there, I love Atlanta. It’s a great city and they have some great weapons on the offensive side of the ball and they’re on the up and up.”
On not working out at the combine:
“For me I wanna be able to give my guys at pro day who worked so hard to get their opportunity in front of everybody. Go out and showcase what they can do so it wasn’t about me, it was about my teammates.”
Most important thing for team that drafts him:
“Obviously somebody’s gonna take a chance on me and say ‘this kid can change our organization and be the face of the franchise. So the main thing is somebody supporting me, believing in me and if they call my name they believe and support me.”
On playing for Patriots:
“It would be dope, obviously growing up and seeing what Tom Brady did there. That’s tough to live up to but it would be dope to come in there and see the success they’ve had and help them get back on that track.”
Meeting with the Giants:
“It was fun, they gave me the clicker and we were just talking ball and that’s always fun. I love football, I’m very passionate about it so whenever I talk ball I love it. They were very excited to get to know me as a person.”
On what he wanted to relay to teams and who he is as a person:
“I just want people to get to know who I am outside of my helmet. A lot of people don’t get to know who I am, get to see me because I have a helmet on but getting to talk to them and letting them know who I am as a person and not just a football player.”“I’m a God fearing man. I’m very big on my faith and I’m very passionate about what I do and football is what I love.”
On size concerns:
“I haven’t sensed any of that but I embrace who I am. I’m not the biggest guy but it works for me. God blessed me with this frame for a reason so I’m not gonna complain about it.”
If he could be an animal for 24 hours, what would he be?
“A Lion.”
