Jayden Daniels puts ball in Caleb Williams’ court with electric start for Commanders

You're up, Caleb Williams. And Jayden Daniels just gave the No. 1 overall pick one helluva act to follow.

Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU who the Washington Commanders took with the No. 2 overall pick, took the field for his first taste of NFL action early on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets. And for a divisive prospect who experienced a meteoric rise in his final college season, fans were eager to see what he would do.

He wasted little time not only getting hopes up across the DMV but in also proving that he's more than ready for the opportunity to be the face of the Commanders moving forward.

Jayden Daniels shines, puts more pressure on Caleb Williams in preseason debut

While Daniels' first throw didn't inspire much confidence, sailing a dump-off to Austin Ekeler over the running back's head, he immediately showed his greatest strength, dotting a deep shot in tight coverage right into Dyami Brown's breadbasket for a 42-yard gain.

He then showed solid command of the offense, albeit with plenty of run calls, to set up a third-and-goal situation. That's when Daniels put his other trump card on display, scampering around the right side of the offensive line for a three-yard touchdown to cap what ended up being his lone drive of the preseason opener.

Aside from the incompletion to start, this is exactly what you'd want to see from Daniels in his first NFL preseason game. He didn't take off at the first sign of pressure, he showed his deep-ball prowess is translatable to the NFL, and he put his mobility to use when it mattered. That's a lot of boxes checked, even if it was one drive.

What's interesting is that it also inherently puts pressure on the one player drafted ahead of him in April, new Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Not only was he getting set to suit up right after Daniels on Saturday, but a stellar debut in limited work would make Williams and the Bears look a bit foolish if there are any struggles.

Of course, this is preseason football and the first pro in-game action either player has experienced. Gleaning too much from these moments is foolhearted in the kindest terms. And yet, the narratives and takes will fly, and Jayden Daniels definitely set up plenty of those with how he hit the ground running with the Commanders.