NFL Draft Rumors: Ranking Jayden Daniels’ 10 Combine meetings as potential fits
4. Chicago Bears
If the Chicago Bears take the nuclear approach and trade back from No. 1 while still moving off of Justin Fields, yes, Jayden Daniels is a strong fit. He can plug right into Fields' role, offering similar dynamism as an open-field runner with a much stronger arm in the pocket. Shane Waldron is from the Sean McVay coaching tree. He worked with Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson over the years. He should be able to put Daniels in a favorable position. The Bears would, presumably, use the additional assets acquired by trading Fields and the No. 1 pick to address shortcomings on the O-line and in the WR room.
If Chicago can put a legitimate WR2 next to D.J. Moore and beef up the offensive line further, Daniels would be well-positioned for early success. Matt Eberflus' defense really turned the corner over the second half of last season. Daniels is probably better than Fields — we can speak honestly. He won't take as many boneheaded sacks and he won't float passes nonchalantly into traffic. That's not to say Daniels is without his own shortcomings as a prospect, but his growth arc at LSU was highly promising.
The idea of trading No. 1 and Fields is absurd at first blush, but if it lands Daniels and a metric ton of future draft capital or another high-level starter, such as Moore last season... well, it's worth a thought.
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are, let's all say it together, a quarterback away. New head coach Raheem Morris admitted as much to reporters. While Atlanta is expected to target Kirk Cousins or a veteran stopgap, the Falcons — armed with the No. 8 pick — are within reach of Daniels with the right trade package. It's probably wise for Atlanta to consider all their options here. Letting a rookie head coach and a rookie offensive coordinator grow in harmony with a rookie QB (and potential franchise cornerstone) is an appealing option.
Few teams can place more raw playmaking talent around Daniels. The Falcons have invested several recent first-round picks in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. One or two more offseason additions to the WR room, and the Falcons can match any NFC team in the firepower department. Daniels would be positioned to potentially win the weak NFC South as a rookie. The Falcons went 7-10 last season despite Arthur Smith's inexplicable play-calling and Desmond Ridder's uniquely awful QB play. An okay rookie campaign from Daniels might be enough for the Falcons to level up.
As far as blending immediate opportunity and quality of the team around him, the Falcons are a great landing spot for Daniels.