Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers shine at LSU’s Pro Day

Jayden Daniels and the rest of LSU’s draft-eligible players took center stage at the school’s Pro Day on Wednesday.

The reigning Heisman winner gave scouts their first look at him since LSU’s regular-season finale, as he didn’t participate in workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine. However, Daniels didn’t partake in any of the athletic testing drills, focusing only on throwing at LSU’s Pro Day.

The throwing session, which was at the end of Daniels’ Pro Day, was just one of the big marks of the day for the quarterback. Daniels was later set to meet with the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders following Wednesday’s festivities, his agent told NFL Media, marking his first meetings with the teams.

Daniels is projected to be a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, with many evaluators ranking him among the consensus top-three quarterback prospects who’ll be drafted this spring. With that being the case, the Patriots, who hold the third overall pick, had a strong contingent in Baton Rouge on Wednesday. Director of scouting and chief roster decision maker Eliot Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt are just three of the nine Patriots staffers who attended the event.

Several other head coaches for quarterback-needy teams were at LSU on Wednesday. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, Giants head coach Brian Daboll and Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus were also spotted at the event. Commanders general manager Adam Peters and Patriots executive Alonzo Highsmith were among some of the staffers from NFL teams who were seen chatting with Daniels during Wednesday’s event. 

All of those teams are in need of a quarterback and pick relatively high in the 2024 draft, with the Raiders being the only team of that group not in the top 10. However, Pierce has a connection with Daniels as the two overlapped during their time together at Arizona State.

One of the concerns over Daniels has been his frame. He was listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds during his Heisman-winning season, appearing thinner than most other quarterbacks. Daniels was measured at the same weight on Wednesday, coming at 210 pounds and standing at 6-foot-3. His hands were also measured at 9 3/8 inches, which would’ve been the fourth-smallest among quarterbacks who had their hands measured at the combine. However, his hands were measured longer than Drake Maye’s and J.J. McCarthy’s, who are both projected to be top-10 picks.

Daniels was scheduled to throw over 50 passes in his workout, tossing a combination of short passes, intermediate throws and deep shots down the field.

Daniels wasn’t the only top prospect who competed in drills at LSU’s Pro Day. Malik Nabers, a projected top-10 pick and one of the consensus top-three receiver prospects in this year’s draft, also participated in the workouts after sitting out the combine.

Nabers, who measured in at 6-foot and 199 pounds, dazzled during the athletic drills. He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash in his first run and followed that up with a 4.40. He also recorded a 42-inch vertical jump. 

Nabers’ 40 time would’ve ranked fourth among receivers at the combine, while his vertical would’ve been tied for the third-highest. He also had a 10-9 broad jump, which would’ve tied for sixth among receiver prospects at the combine. 

Following Nabers’ 40-yard dash, Daniels ran over to his star receiver from this past season to celebrate his speed. 

Nabers is drawing interest from teams who also seem to be interested in Daniels. The Patriots, Giants, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars met with the receiver on Tuesday, while the Arizona Cardinals are scheduled to meet with him following Wednesday’s event, NFL Media reported. The Cardinals, who hold the fourth overall pick, have been projected by many to select Marvin Harrison Jr. in mock drafts, but Nabers seems to be making a case to possibly be the first receiver taken in the draft.

There’s even more wide receiver talent at LSU. Brian Thomas Jr., who was one of the three receivers who ran a quicker 40 than Nabers, didn’t participate in athletic drills on Wednesday. 

LSU’s Pro Day marked one of the two high-profile Pro Days scheduled for this week. North Carolina will hold its Pro Day on Thursday, where Maye is expected to compete. It’s been reported that many of the same people who attended LSU’s Pro Day will make the trek from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to watch one of the other top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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