The Washington Commanders are ready to unveil the No. 2 overall draft pick, announcing over the weekend that quarterback Jayden Daniels will play in Saturday's preseason opener against the New York Jets.
Head coach Dan Quinn did not say if Daniels or veteran Marcus Mariota will start the game or how long either will feature, but did explain what he's liked from the rookie during training camp.
"It's the decision making that I've been really impressed by, not just throwing but playing the position, 'this coverage goes to here, I got a matchup I want I go to here,'" Quinn said via ESPN. "There's skill work and processing work. The processing part for him has been excellent."
For Doc Walker (in for Kevin Sheehan this week), he was "delighted" that the Commanders were sending out their first-year QB the first opportunity they got.
"It wasn't guaranteed.. but I'm happy that we'll get a chance to see the young fella under live bullets, the first live-action he will have been under as a professional," Walker said.
"Sooner or later you have to [play him]. It's tackle football," he continued. "And you gotta play it in order to get good at it. And you just can't camouflage it. And down to three games now as opposed to four... the hesitancy of actually [playing], especially for the young guys who have never played at this level."
"For the babies, you gotta throw them into the water. Eventually, you have to play under pressure and the quarterback, how does he get that internal clock going [except by playing in a real game]?" Walker added. "He knows he's not gonna be hit in practice. The receivers now the defensive backs will be cut if they hit them in practice. Everybody knows... that it's orchestrated and rightfully so, because you don't want any wildcating going on... it's a mental exercise for the team.