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 carrying a long-sleeved purple shirt with the identify 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 at this time 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 all the time 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 they’d 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 chance, I do know they are going to crush it.”
LSU coach Brian Kelly stated Daniels’ tribute to Brooks was a great instance of his character.
“He is pondering exterior of simply Jayden Daniels. He is eager about considered one of his teammates that he holds in excessive regard,” Kelly stated. “And that is the way in which he is been since he is gotten right here.
“He is all the time eager about his teammates first. That throwing that we noticed at this time, he introduced in teammates so they might get an opportunity to be seen at this time in entrance of numerous scouts. And perhaps that is not the rationale you try this, but it surely was for him. He wished to showcase another guys at this time, and he definitely 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 a giant 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 completely different routes, together with completely different makes an attempt downfield.
“I’d 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 sort 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 sort 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 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 principle 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 school soccer participant of the 12 months and earned first-team All-American honors together with numerous 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 sort 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 then you definitely take care of 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’ve got seen it at this time, 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 via 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 wakened 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 come back out right here on professional day and shut it down. I did not do every little thing 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. Once I wakened within the morning, I knew one thing was going to be particular. So, I wished simply to observe 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 might in all probability say, seeing loads of issues within the media saying I used to be 4.5, 4.6, so I simply wished to come back out right here and showcase that I am not even near that,” Nabers stated. “So, after I heard the primary time, Jayden had informed 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 huge 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 huge receivers off the board behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., however Nabers stated some groups informed him he may very well 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 will do large issues with it. I’ve a plan to go rating, so I am making an attempt to make the perfect explosive play that I could make on the sphere,” 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.
