Jayden Daniels Isn’t Just Avoiding a Sophomore Slump, League Voices Believe His Breakout Is Just Beginning | 4 Downs

One team’s trash may be another’s gold nugget.

Friday, reports surfaced that the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers were working towards a trade that would send $51 million free agent bust Bryce Huff to the Bay Area in exchange for a mid-round pick.

Equally stunning is Huff’s lack of production; just 2.5 sacks as a nonfactor in Philadelphia to the point that he was inactive in the Super Bowl after failing to post a tackle in either of the Eagles’ playoff victories, and general manager Howie Roseman’s ability to pry an asset in exchange for him in a trade.

But, I dont think we have heard the last of Huff, just yet.

In San Francisco, Huff reunites with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was the New York Jets’ head coach during Huff’s 10-sack explosion in 2023.

Some players are just best fit in certain schemes and respond best to certain coaches or coaching styles. San Francisco doesn’t slingshot a mid-round pick to the east coast without believing Saleh can get the best out of Huff.

I may look silly for making this prediction come December, but I could see Huff posting a seven-sack campaign as a key rotational rusher along a revamped 49ers defensive line.

Inside this week’s column; NFL scouts and former players on what makes Jayden Daniels special, and how the Commanders have already set their quarterback up to avoid a ‘sophomore slump’ plus, multiple agents and league executives on Kyle Pitts’ value as the underperforming tight end sits out OTAs in hopes of striking a new deal, a 49ers conundrum, and much more!

First Down: Jayden Daniels, Sophomore Slump? How does Washington avoid it?

Jayden Daniels took the NFL world by storm.

Certain expectations accompany being chosen No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft, especially as a quarterback. And, as a rookie, Daniels somehow obliterated them all.

On his way to being the catalyst behind lifting the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, perhaps a bit ahead of schedule, Daniels set the NFL all-time rushing record for a rookie quarterback, with 891 yards and six touchdowns in addition to his 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, to just nine interceptions.

Moreover, Daniels was the first rookie quarterback with a 69 percent completion percentage, or better, while also rushing for 800+ yards.

But, for Daniels, it wasn’t just gaudy numbers.

Each week, Daniels seemed to progress in his development by leaps and bounds, playing at an elite level, even while at one point dealing with cracked ribs.

Perhaps most impressively, Daniels shined in the clutch, leading four fourth-quarter comebacks and four game-winning drives in the regular season before outdueling Baker Mayfield to lead Washington from behind, in Tampa Bay, to advance past Wild Card Weekend.

“The most impressive thing to me about Jayden Daniels is that the moment was never too big for him as a rookie,” Former Washington offensive lineman and NFL analyst extraordinaire Ross Tucker told me. “In fact, he actually played his best when it mattered the most.”

“I think about the fourth quarter of the win against the Eagles or overtime against the Falcons ... He showed he can play his best when the stakes are highest, and that bodes extremely well for Washington moving forward.”

Despite Daniels’ bombastic rookie campaign, it’s easy to see why some would suggest a second-year slump is possible. Especially for a wunderkind quarterback who finished sixth among qualified passers with a 69 completion percentage and guided the insurgent Commanders to the doorstep of the Super Bowl.

But I’m not buying it.

Not for one second.

Forget for a second that in the Commanders’ biggest games down the stretch last season, Daniels posted a passer rating above 100 in five of Washington’s final eight, including two playoff wins.

And, just remember, that C.J. Stroud’s ‘step back’ in his second season coincided with top wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell each suffering season-ending injuries.

There’s a feeling inside the league that Daniels is more an ascending talent who is likely to follow in Cam Newton or Josh Allen’s footsteps into his second season than replicate a C.J. Stroud level stumble.

“They just need to repeat what they did last year with him,” a veteran quarterbacks coach tells me of Daniels, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team. “He seems locked in, so I don’t expect a big drop off. If there is one, it’s going to be just a little bump, for sure.”

It’s not just continuity around Daniels, with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and safety valve tight end Zach Ertz returning—the front office also added Pro Bowl playmaker Deebo Samuel and All-Pro tackle Laremy Tunsil this offseason, building out the infrastructure for a second-year leap.

“What the Commanders have done thus far this offseason,” Former Washington running back Brian Mitchell tells me. “Is they went out and they brought Deebo Samuel in, they drafted [offensive tackle] Josh Connerly, they brought in Laremy Tunsil, which means Jayden doesn’t have to be superhero. He has more time to develop in the pocket, because he reads defenses really well, he makes quick decisions.”

“So, if he has more time and more weapons, they’re already doing what they need to do to try to give him that extra push.”

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury says he’s already seeing significant signs of growth in Daniels this spring.