Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels 'Answered the Bell,' Continuing to Impress

For Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels who is less than two months from his first NFL training camp these next two weeks of practice are going to be crucial.

But what he's shown already in just three Commanders practices open to the media has impressed, and has laid the groundwork for what many hope will be a successful rookie season for the Heisman Trophy winner.

READ MORE: Ranking the Duo of Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels

Specifically, there were noticeable differences between each of the three opportunities we got to watch Washington practice, not only with Daniels, but with the team as a whole. And it's a clear sign that the majority of the work that takes place away from media view is proving effective early in the process.

Team analyst Logan Paulsen recently appeared on the Locked On Commanders podcast and discussed the evidence of this.

"So much of the analysis is going to be based off these three practices and the kind of limited interaction, and that's all we can talk about. But a lot of work happened behind the scenes, obviously. Think of that rookie minicamp and (how he) just kind of answered the bell right away. I think you saw the quick feet, you saw the quick release, you saw the accuracy, and it was something that we kind of knew was in the bag from LSU," Paulsen said. "And so we kind of knew that was there, but to see him work his progressions, see the footwork...to see it translate in that first practice was great."

"The other thing that's just been super impressive about him, is his seeming mastery of the offense so far. And I think his ability to understand coverages, understand the concept, understand what concepts are designed to beat certain coverages, and then where the ball should go..."

- Logan Paulsen, Commanders Team Analyst

It's not just Daniels' on-field efforts that are drawing praise, however.

Throughout the opportunities to see the team developing we've been exposed to coaches and teammates praising the young quarterback for possessing veteran traits early.

Things like beating seven-year veteran defensive tackle into the building even though he prides himself on being first to arrive for work. Or how he commands (no pun intended) the group when operating offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's scheme. In every facet of being an NFL quarterback, Daniels appears to be at least on track, if not ahead of the curve.

"The other thing that's just been super impressive about him, is his seeming mastery of the offense so far. And I think his ability to understand coverages, understand the concept, understand what concepts are designed to beat certain coverages, and then where the ball should go with all of that information in a very, very kind of quick decision-making process I think is pretty fantastic," Paulsen continued. "And he's done that over the last three practices."

We'll get to see a fourth in the coming week and then we're schedule to see up to three the week following as the Commanders execute their mandatory minicamp in mid-June.

READ MORE: Who is the Commanders' X-Factor in 2024?

It'll be another opportunity to see what Washington as a whole has brewing, but also another chance for Daniels to continue proving he's the quarterback general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn thought he was when they decided to bring him into the fold.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.