Quarterback Jayden Daniels is a wanted man.
On Thursday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Vikings and Giants have scheduled meetings with the 2023 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
#LSU QB and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels is set to meet with the #Giants on Monday for a Top 30 visit, per @Agentbutler1. NYG continues to do the homework on the top QBs.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 10, 2024
More on Jayden Daniels, as the intrigue picks up: The #Vikings have now scheduled a private meeting with the LSU star and Heisman Trophy winner, per @Agentbutler1. https://t.co/5b45x7Ap9L
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 11, 2024
Minnesota lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in free agency earlier this year, while New York clearly has buyer's remorse after signing quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract extension last offseason.
In six games in 2023, Jones averaged a paltry 151.5 passing yards per game and only threw two touchdowns compared to six interceptions. His 70.7 passer rating was worse than that of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who finished 32nd in the league in passer rating (73.7) among qualifying quarterbacks.
Both teams are in the market for a quarterback, and rumors have circled for months that the Patriots could be open to trading the No. 3 overall pick.
Of course, the Commanders, which have the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, could make this conversation moot by selecting Daniels.
Per ESPN Bet, Washington (-165) is the favorite to land him, followed by the Patriots (+155) and Vikings (+700); the Giants (+1800) have the sixth-best odds.
The Vikings make the more compelling potential landing spot between Minnesota and New York. He'd team up with another former LSU Tiger, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, to give Minnesota a strong chance of competing for a division crown sooner rather than later.
The Giants have holes throughout their roster, and moving up for Daniels might put him in a similar position to what Young was in with the Panthers in 2023.
Either team would likely need to pay the Patriots a king's ransom to move up for Daniels. Last season with the Tigers, he went 236-of-327 (72.2 percent), 3,812 passing yards (11.7 yards per attempt), 40 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. He added 135 carries, 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
New England would be foolish to trade the No. 3 pick — should Daniels be available — for anything less than full price.
But even a haul of picks might not be worth as much as landing a potential franchise quarterback for the next 10-15 years. Minnesota and New York are seemingly aware of Daniels' value. The biggest question regarding him in the next two weeks is if Washington or New England values him more.
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