Ron Rivera swears he would have drafted Jayden Daniels for Commanders

Former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera says the team would have drafted Jayden Daniels had he remained in control. 

Speaking with ESPN’s Adam Schefter as training camps get underway this week, Rivera said that in his draft prep, Daniels was the guy he would’ve wanted to target — and even brought up the name Cam Newton while talking about Daniels’ game.

“No, that was the quarterback, I really think that was the quarterback,” Rivera said. “You look at his ability to prolong the play, extend the play. Look at his ability to throw the ball down the field and create with his ability to run.”

Rivera didn’t get the chance, though, as Washington fifed him in January at the end of a 4-13 campaign and hired Dan Quinn. 

But Quinn’s offensive coordinator hire is something Rivera loves about the Daniels fit: “Because Kliff Kingsbury’s there, I think that was a tremendous pick for them because that offense counts on the quarterback doing a lot and making things happen.”

Former head coaches proclaiming they would have drafted certain quarterbacks isn’t anything new. But for Rivera, the pick would’ve likely come down to Daniels or eventual No. 1 pick Caleb Williams.

For Commanders fans, it probably doesn’t hurt to have yet another ringing endorsement of the decision that will decide much about the franchise’s future.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 23, 2024