Saturday was a big day for the quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine.
It was already an established fact that the top three quarterbacks expected to be selected with the top three picks in April’s draft, were not going to be throwing at the Combine. Saturday would be an opportunity to have all the quarterbacks measured and weighed.
A concern for Commanders fans who love the play of Jayden Daniels from LSU has been his slight frame. LSU is a strong program, and they typically are already much better than the seven teams they play each season. They then win a few additional competitive games as well. But how will Daniels hold up against NFL teams just as good or better? How will he hold up being hit in most games?
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn when asked last week about Daniels had succinctly replied, “Game changer.” So, what were the measurements for the top six quarterbacks, Saturday? In particular, how did Daniels measure by comparison?
QB measurements
| Player | Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | Hand size | Arm length | Wingspan |
| Caleb Williams (USC) | 6-1 1/8 | 214 | N/A | 9 3/4″ | 32″ | 75 7/8″ |
| Jayden Daniels (LSU) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Drake Maye (North Carolina) | 6-4 3/8 | 223 | N/A | 9 1/8″ | 32 1/4″ | 76 1/8″ |
| J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) | 6-2 1/2 | 219 | N/A | 9″ | 31 5/8″ | 75 7/8″ |
| Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) | 6-2 1/4 | 216 | N/A | 10 1/2″ | 33 5/8″ | 81″ |
| Bo Nix (Oregon) | 6-2 1/8 | 214 | N/A | 10 1/8″ | 30 7/8″ | 74 1/2″ |
Clearly, the most significant element of Saturday’s quarterback measurements, was Jayden Daniels choosing to not provide his measurements.
The 2023 LSU roster reads that Daniels was listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. So, on Saturday, Williams and Nix weighed in at 214, only four pounds heavier. At 216 was Michael Penix and J.J. McCarthy at 219. Only Drake Maye was more than ten pounds heavier than Daniels, weighing in at 223.
Thus, why wasn’t Daniels simply weighing in? Who cares if he was lighter, weighing in at 210?
Each NFL team interested in drafting Daniels knew why he was not weighing in. He was attempting to put off stepping on the scales for as long as he can. Consequently, he will be weighed in at his Pro Day workout March 27.
The only conclusion the Commanders and other interested teams were to make is that Daniels does not yet weigh 210. With his frame, it could very well be that LSU exaggerated his weight on the team roster all season.
Owing the second overall selection in April’s draft, will Daniels not weighing in Saturday, raise additional concerns for the Commanders?
