Jayden Daniels ensures elbow is fine after photo goes viral ahead of NFL Draft

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is widely expected to come off the board in the top-3 of next month's NFL Draft. The talented dual-threat QB won the Heisman Trophy last season, accumulating 3,812 yards through the air and 1,134 yards on the ground. With 40 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns to his name, Daniels was historically prolific on the scoring front.

Despite the remarkable numbers, which include a 72.2 percent completion rate, Daniels was confronted by a new wave of doubt on Thursday when a photo of his elbow raised eyebrows.

The photo showed a large "growth-like bump" on his throwing elbow. There was, however, a reasonable and unconcerning medical explanation offered by Dr. Jesse Morse on X (Twitter).

"Jayden Daniels appears to be dealing with olecranon bursitis of his right throwing elbow.

This is an inflammation of the bursa, which is a sac that is usually empty and is there to protect the bone underneath. We have them in several joints including the elbow and the knee."

Morse termed the injury "more annoying than concerning," and said it would not impact Daniels' ability to throw the football. Not long after, Daniels chimed in to reassure fans that his elbow is A-OK.

'My elbow is perfectly fine' says Jayden Daniels ahead of NFL Draft

Well, those looking to knock Daniels' NFL Draft stock will need to look elsewhere. There don't appear to be any legs to this "medical" concern. The 23-year-old met with the Washington Commanders after LSU's Pro Day, with his Tigers head coach Brian Kelly hinting at D.C. as a potential destination.

In addition to Washington at No. 2, Daniels figures to draw interest from the New England Patriots in the No. 3 spot. We know the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and Las Vegas Raiders all possess varying levels of interest in Daniels, too. Let's just say the top of the draft board could get messy.

Daniels stands apart from his peers as a legitimate runner. Whether he's torching the defense out of designed runs or improvising outside the pocket, Daniels is remarkably elusive in space. He regularly evades tackles, squeezes through tight windows, and pulls off chunk gains in a pinch. Factor in his remarkable efficiency and poise as a passer, and Daniels checks a lot of boxes for teams in search of their franchise QB.

J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye, by comparison, lack dynamism. Daniels might not have the strongest arm — or the most aesthetically flawless elbow — but he's not exactly floating rainbows into traffic. He's a precise pocket operator who made countless deep throws at LSU. Don't expect teams to chicken out because of a wonky, heavily compressed Twitter photo.