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 through 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 in the present day when throwing. Brooks was identified with mind most cancers within the fall. Brian Kelly stated 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 isn’t right here, however he is right here in spirit, and I am right here to rep him,” Daniels stated. “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 useful 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’ll crush it.”
LSU coach Brian Kelly stated Daniels’ tribute to Brooks was an excellent instance of his character.
“He is pondering exterior of simply Jayden Daniels. He is interested by certainly one of his teammates that he holds in excessive regard,” Kelly stated. “And that is the best way he is been since he is gotten right here.
“He is at all times interested by his teammates first. That throwing that we noticed in the present day, he introduced in teammates so they might get an opportunity to be seen in the present day in entrance of various scouts. And possibly that is not the rationale you do this, however it was for him. He wished to showcase another guys in the present day, and he actually did that.”
Daniels, who is predicted 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 a giant contingent of expertise evaluators.
Daniels tossed passes to a gaggle 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.
“I might simply say the principle factor was simply making an attempt to promote my consistency throughout the pocket and my kind,” Daniels stated. “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 indicate 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 basic 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 instructed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Daniels and Nabers have been the principle attracts for the group after they each considerably improved their draft inventory in 2023. Nabers was a consensus All-American decide and Biletnikoff Award finalist as a wideout, whereas Daniels, along with his Heisman Trophy, was named The Related Press faculty soccer participant of the yr and earned first-team All-American honors together with various 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 yr and then you definitely cope with the pandemic, I am coping with private stuff off the sector.
“It makes it simpler when I can construct that comradery, that chemistry with my receivers. You have seen it in the present day, 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 way of drills after sitting out that portion of the mix. Nabers participated in each drill and caught passes from Daniels however stated the 40-yard sprint was of explicit significance to him as a result of he wished to show he was sooner than some may need thought.
Nabers stated he awakened at 5 a.m. on Wednesday in anticipation of working his first official 40 since highschool. He stated that he began coaching to run it three weeks earlier than the professional day.
“I used to be simply making an attempt to showcase my expertise,” Nabers stated. “Showcase my dawg mentality that everyone is aware of, to return out right here on professional day and shut it down. I did not do every part on the mix, so I do know all people 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. Once I awakened within the morning, I knew one thing was going to be particular. So, I wished 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, instructed him to face on his time, however Nabers ran a second 40-yard sprint at 4.4 seconds.
“I might in all probability say, seeing a whole lot of issues within the media saying I used to be 4.5, 4.6, so I simply wished to return out right here and showcase that I am not even near that,” Nabers stated. “So, after I heard the primary time, Jayden had instructed me, ‘Take him off’; however me being me, I knew I may go sooner, in order that’s why I ran it the second time.”
Nabers’ 40 time would have ranked fourth on the mix behind the large 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 blokes that had fairly good numbers on the mix, folks thought I would not be proper there,” Nabers stated. “It is simply one other chip on my shoulder.”
Nabers is projected to be one of many first large receivers off the board behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., however Nabers stated some groups instructed 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, after I get the ball in my arms, I’ll do large issues with it. I’ve a plan to go rating, so I am making an attempt to make the most effective explosive play that I could make on the sector,” Nabers stated. “I play with a excessive chip on my shoulder.
“You possibly can 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.