BATON ROUGE, La. — Jayden Daniels was true to his phrase.
The LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner labored out in entrance of NFL groups at LSU’s professional day after declining to take action in the course of the NFL scouting mix in February.
Daniels was sporting a long-sleeved purple shirt with the title and variety of former Tigers teammate Greg Brooks Jr. on the again. Brooks missed most of his senior season at LSU final fall after he was identified with a mind tumor in September.
Jayden Daniels wore his teammate Greg Brooks’ quantity right this moment when throwing. Brooks was identified with mind most cancers within the fall. Brian Kelly mentioned that is an instance of who Daniels is, as a result of he is at all times pondering of his teammates. pic.twitter.com/aNLUeHT9wB
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) March 27, 2024
“Clearly, if Greg have been right here, he’d be part of this. He is not right here, however he is right here in spirit, and I am right here to rep him,” Daniels mentioned. “My teammates who did not get an invitation to the mix, clearly that they had a number of eyes out right here, all 32 [NFL teams] and extra, so it was helpful to go on the market and showcase their expertise, showcase how they transfer, write their very own journey. In the event that they get a possibility, I do know they will crush it.”
LSU coach Brian Kelly mentioned Daniels’ tribute to Brooks was an excellent instance of his character.
“He is pondering outdoors of simply Jayden Daniels. He is excited about considered one of his teammates that he holds in excessive regard,” Kelly mentioned. “And that is the best way he is been since he is gotten right here.
“He is at all times excited about his teammates first. That throwing that we noticed right this moment, he introduced in teammates so they might get an opportunity to be seen right this moment in entrance of quite a few scouts. And possibly that is not the rationale you do this, however it was for him. He needed to showcase another guys right this moment, and he actually did that.”
Daniels, who is anticipated to be one of many prime quarterbacks chosen in subsequent month’s NFL draft, defined in February that he was skipping mix exercises in hopes that extra NFL groups would go to Baton Rouge for LSU’s professional day, permitting his teammates to shine in entrance of an enormous contingent of expertise evaluators.
Daniels tossed passes to a bunch of former teammates that included Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., each of whom are potential first-round picks. Daniels threw a number of totally different routes, together with totally different makes an attempt downfield.
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“I might simply say the primary factor was simply attempting to promote my consistency throughout the pocket and my type,” Daniels mentioned. “The opposite stuff was simply form of enjoyable. That was simply one thing we do. We’re on the market having enjoyable, we hear the music taking part in … the deep ball, that is form of to point out that they have the pace to trace the soccer and that I can go on the market and put it on the market for them.”
Representatives from all 32 groups have been at LSU on Wednesday, together with New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen and most of his teaching employees. The New York Giants additionally had a big group that included coach Brian Daboll and normal supervisor Joe Schoen. Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn, New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo and Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus have been additionally in attendance.
Daniels was scheduled to have roughly half-hour conferences with the Patriots, Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Raiders and Giants on Wednesday night, agent Ron Butler informed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Daniels and Nabers have been the primary attracts for the group after they each considerably improved their draft inventory in 2023. Nabers was a consensus All-American choose and Biletnikoff Award finalist as a wideout, whereas Daniels, along with his Heisman Trophy, was named The Related Press faculty soccer participant of the 12 months and earned first-team All-American honors together with quite a few different awards.
Daniels considerably improved his draft inventory throughout his two seasons at LSU, which he attributed to having a full offseason going into the 2023 marketing campaign.
“Each offseason I used to be form of coping with one thing,” he defined. “It wasn’t injurywise, however clearly I used to be studying a brand new playbook my freshman 12 months and you then cope with the pandemic, I am coping with private stuff off the sphere.
“It makes it simpler when I can construct that comradery, that chemistry with my receivers. You have seen it right this moment, it is nonetheless there, my brothers for all times.”
Daniels didn’t run the 40-yard sprint and solely participated within the throwing portion of the day. He additionally took official measurements (6-foot-3⅝, 210 kilos) after declining to be measured on the mix.
Nabers (6-foot-¼, 199 kilos) additionally took official measurements and went by drills after sitting out that portion of the mix. Nabers participated in each drill and caught passes from Daniels however mentioned the 40-yard sprint was of specific significance to him as a result of he needed to show he was quicker than some might need thought.
Nabers mentioned he awakened at 5 a.m. on Wednesday in anticipation of working his first official 40 since highschool. He mentioned that he began coaching to run it three weeks earlier than the professional day.
“I used to be simply attempting to showcase my expertise,” Nabers mentioned. “Showcase my dawg mentality that everyone is aware of, to come back out right here on professional day and shut it down. I did not do the whole lot on the mix, so I do know everyone was eager to see what I used to be going to do right here on the professional day. … I have been able to go at it. After I awakened within the morning, I knew one thing was going to be particular. So, I needed simply to comply with behind that and do one thing particular.”
Nabers clocked his first 40 time at 4.35 seconds and instantly yelled, “Cease taking part in with me,” after he pulled up. Daniels, who got here as much as cheer him on, informed him to face on his time, however Nabers ran a second 40-yard sprint at 4.4 seconds.
“I would in all probability say, seeing lots of issues within the media saying I used to be 4.5, 4.6, so I simply needed to come back out right here and showcase that I am not even near that,” Nabers mentioned. “So, once I heard the primary time, Jayden had informed me, ‘Take him off’; however me being me, I knew I might go quicker, in order that’s why I ran it the second time.”
Nabers’ 40 time would have ranked fourth on the mix behind the extensive receiver trio of Texas’ Xavier Worthy (4.21), LSU’s Thomas (4.33) and Texas’ Adonai Mitchell (4.34). Thomas didn’t run the 40 once more on Wednesday.
“It simply exhibits that every one the fellows that had fairly good numbers on the mix, folks thought I would not be proper there,” Nabers mentioned. “It is simply one other chip on my shoulder.”
Nabers is projected to be one of many first extensive receivers off the board behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., however Nabers mentioned some groups informed him he could possibly be the primary wideout drafted.
“I do know lots of people have been saying receiver No. 1 off the board, dawg mentality that I play with, once I get the ball in my palms, I’ll do large issues with it. I’ve a plan to go rating, so I am attempting to make the most effective explosive play that I could make on the sphere,” Nabers mentioned. “I play with a excessive chip on my shoulder.
“You may inform after I make performs I am ensuring the offense has the power to go on the market and make the identical performs.”
The 2024 NFL draft is scheduled to start on April 25.