Not everyone believes the Chicago Bears‘ plans for the top overall pick are set in stone.
Dan Orlovsky, one of ESPN’s more renowned NFL analysts, spoke on the morning show “Get Up” and detailed the plan ahead for Chicago as they continue preparations with the first pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Instead of agreeing with most pundits who expect USC quarterback Caleb Williams to be the selection, Orlovsky went a different route that might have shocked everyone.
Dan Orlovsky Thinks Different Heisman Trophy Winner Should Be First Pick
The former Detroit Lions quarterback made it clear that while his opinion was not a knock on any one player, the best choice for Chicago was not the USC phenom in Williams or even North Carolina’s Drake Maye, but the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
“Jayden Daniels should be the guy,” Orlovsky stated. “If I were the Chicago Bears right now, I would take Jayden Daniels out of LSU.”
Orlovsky cited Daniels’ film against man coverage, explosive plays, and pocket “peace” as the reason for his assessment of who the top quarterback is in this draft class.
“Candidly, I think when it comes to which guy has the best game, none of these guys compare to Jayden Daniels against Florida,” Orlovsky explained. “Caleb Williams is fantastic, I just think Jayden Daniels is better.”
Daniels completed 65% of his passes against Florida in the game that the NFL analyst called in the broadcast booth while throwing for over 350 yards and three scores. That was just a taster to the eventual Heisman winner throwing for 40 touchdowns, 3,800 yards, and four interceptions.
Add in an additional 10 touchdowns and 1,000 yards on the ground, and there was little debate about the dominance the LSU prospect put forth in 2023.
In the game against Florida, Orlovsky and Get Up host Mike Greenberg told the story that the former quarterback stated back in October that Williams was “not a lock” to go first overall and that Daniels’ play was changing the conversation.
Do Other Draft Pundits Agree That Jayden Daniels Should Go No. 1?
Orlovsky’s suggestion that Daniels is the best quarterback in the draft class and not the popular Maye or Williams is one of the first times we’ve heard that. But it’s also not too outlandish.
The 2024 quarterback class is among the best in recent memory, with Williams, Maye, and Daniels all expected to go in the top three overall in April. However, the order might be different than many perceive.
While Williams is still considered a lock by many NFL executives and draft pundits, the conversation surrounding Maye and Daniels has increased in recent weeks.
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Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris is expected to meet with all three quarterbacks at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, while the Bears have done a “crap-load” of work on Williams.
There will be some who expect Chicago to take the USC phenom, but it appears not everyone is convinced that Williams is the best player in the draft anymore. We still have a long way to go in the scouting process before the Bears need to make a decision.
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