NFL Draft Rumors: Ranking Jayden Daniels’ 10 Combine meetings as potential fits

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is expected to come off the board second or third in April's NFL Draft. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner put together a masterful senior season at LSU, completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground. In today's NFL, that level of dual-threat production from the QB position is difficult to look past.

Daniels has set himself up to have a wide range of potential new homes at the next level. While the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are selecting No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, we know the NFL Draft is a beast of chaos. Trades up and down are possible. We know the Chicago Bears are at least considering moving off the No. 1 pick. The Patriots could trade out of No. 3. Daniels truly does not know, with any certainty, where he will land.

That explains why Daniels met with 10 different teams at the NFL Combine, per Ian Rapoport. While top prospects can decide to limit their meetings in an attempt to steer the outcome in a preferred direction, it appears that Daniels is open-minded. North Carolina's Drake Maye is meeting with "essentially the same teams," too.

Daniels is the mystery box prospect of this year's draft. He doesn't have the same consistency on his track record as Maye or projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, but there is inherent upside in any QB with Daniels' combination of accuracy and mobility. He can extend plays with his legs, improvise at a high level, and even roast defenses on designed runs. The potential is unlimited.

Let's rank the teams Daniels met with by fit.

10. New York Jets

Jayden Daniels would probably learn a lot from Aaron Rodgers, but the LSU product probably wants to start as a rookie. The New York Jets aren't going to abandon the Rodgers experiment for at least one more season. If he gets his way, Rodgers will probably last a few more years in New York and the NFL. So, from Daniels' perspective, this isn't the best outcome.

The counterargument centers on Jordan Love, who spent two years in Rodgers' shadow before leading the Packers to a postseason victory in his first season as QB1. Rodgers, for all his off-field oddity, is one of the smartest on-field QBs we have ever seen. His ability to process the game is unmatched. He would undoubtedly impart a ton of valuable wisdom upon Daniels, assuming the latter is receptive. It's a simple matter of uncertainty over Daniels' role and the logistics of New York trading up high enough to select him.

9. New Orleans Saints

Same thing. The New Orleans Saints are going to start Derek Carr next season. There is less certainty about Carr's future with the franchise, but he is an expensive starting QB with too much on his resumé to justify benching him for a rookie. New Saints OC Klint Kubiak comes from a great system in San Francisco, so it's easy to express confidence in the future of the Saints' offense. On the other hand, New Orleans regularly fell short of expectations last season, in part due to a weak, oft-injured supporting cast. The looming departure of Alvin Kamara only muddies the waters further.

Daniels would be an excellent long-term centerpiece for the Saints, make no mistake. From the team perspective, there isn't really a "bad" fit for Daniels, assuming the price of a potential trade-up isn't overly exorbitant. That said, the path to starting in New Orleans is too murky out of the gate. Daniels deserves a chance to claim the QB1 spot and start his NFL career in a prominent position.