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Commanders' Jahan Dotson: Jayden Daniels is the QB I wanted team to draft

Published May. 15, 2024 12:47 p.m. ET

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The Washington Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with the goal of changing their fortunes, and one of the players he'll be relying on couldn't be happier about the quarterback's arrival.

"I don't know if I can say this, but that's the quarterback that I wanted," Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson said about Daniels on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. "But yeah, I was happy when we drafted him, I'm really looking forward to building a relationship with him, furthering our relationship, as I've known him in the past, but he's been good so far. He's only been here a couple days now, but he has big things coming for him."

Dotson also explained that he and Daniels have a pre-existing relationship, as the two have worked out together in the past.

Daniels was the second quarterback selected in the draft, as USC star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was taken by the Chicago Bears at No. 1. Washington took Daniels over North Carolina's Drake Maye, Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Oregon's Bo Nix, who were all selected in the top 12.

Daniels won the 2023 Heisman Trophy at LSU, throwing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Jayden Daniels wants to turn around Commanders, talks Pre-Draft Process & Kingsbury

Dotson, who the Commanders selected with the No. 16 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State, is entering his third season. Across his two seasons in Washington, Dotson has averaged 42 receptions for 520.5 yards and 5.5 touchdowns per season. He missed five games in his rookie season due to a hamstring injury.

Daniels takes over a Washington offense that averaged just 312.8 total yards (24th in the NFL) and 19.4 points (tied for 24th) per game last season. As for the rest of its quarterback room, Washington traded 2023 starter Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks and signed veteran Marcus Mariota to a one-year deal.

The Commanders are coming off a 4-13 season and have a new head coach in former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, whose offensive coordinator is former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. 

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