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Mel Kiper Jr. explains how Jayden Daniels went from a 4th rounder to a top 3 NFL Draft pick
By Keith Farner
Published:
Mel Kiper Jr. has never seen a player make the kind of dramatic improvement he saw in 2023 from Jayden Daniels. After the long-time ESPN NFL Draft analyst came out with his projection that Daniels would go No. 3 overall, he explained what sets the LSU QB apart from a crowded class this NFL Draft season.
“Jayden did it all and he had a lot of pressure coming in,” Kiper said. “You think about the defense letting that team down week in and week out. He knew, ‘I just put 28, 35, 40, it’s not enough. Now I’ve got to put a drive together late.’ He did have Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., but when you look at the ability he had to stress a defense, and you saw him in the SEC running away from defensive backs.”
Two areas that impress Kiper are Daniels’ ability to keep his head up and see his targets down the field, and absorb hit after hit. Kiper also recalled how he had Daniels pegged as a 4th rounder last year, and now he’s projected to be the second or third pick overall. Kiper said he can’t recall a player making that kind of jump before.
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“I love the fact that he takes shots and he doesn’t throw interceptions,” Kiper said. “He runs, he’s aggressive, he doesn’t fumble the football.”
Kiper said he needed to see improvements from Daniels last season, and the LSU QB delivered. He even said Daniels is in line to be the No. 2 overall at pick and “at worse” the No. 3 pick.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
