Jayden Daniels was not expected to be a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft at this time last year. He wasn't expected to be a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, either.
But a lot can change in a year, and after a brilliant Heisman Trophy-winning season by the LSU quarterback in 2023, it's possible that he is taken as high as No. 2 in next month's draft.
The New England Patriots own the No. 3 overall pick, and many expert mock drafts over the last few months have Daniels going to the AFC East team in that spot.
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But one of the biggest Daniels supporters in Foxboro no longer works for the team. NFL Network's Bridget Condon reported Wednesday at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that Bill Belichick "loved" Daniels and had him atop his draft board.
"I can tell you, based on conversations that I've had with people around the organization, Bill Belichick loved Jayden Daniels," Condon said. "He was a guy on the top of their draft board. He was going to do everything in his power to try and get that guy."
Check out her full report below:
Belichick parted ways with the Patriots in January and was replaced by Jerod Mayo.
The Patriots do need a quarterback and it makes the most sense to take one with the No. 3 pick. They also were one of several teams that interviewed Daniels at the Scouting Combine this week.
There's also a chance Daniels isn't on the board when the Patriots are on the clock in Round 1. A lot of mock drafts have the Washington Commanders selecting the LSU quarterback with the No. 2 pick, including ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. in his second 2024 NFL mock draft published Wednesday.
Daniels' dual-threat skill set (40 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing touchdowns in 2023) makes him a really exciting prospect. Taking him at No. 3 makes a lot of sense. But there's a lot of time between now and the draft for the Patriots to do their research and film study on all of these prospects before determining which one is best at No. 3.