One listener sent Kevin Sheehan a message questioning why Jayden Daniels has been criticized so heavily for having ‘too much help’ at LSU, in the form of a pair of first-round wide receivers, and why this wasn’t a thing for Joe Burrow in Baton Rouge.
“Sometimes that can be a bit of a straw man, because really the narrative is that Daniels, more than several recent quarterbacks, has been discussed in a way that maybe others have not,” Kevin said Monday. “Comparing him to Burrow, he did most of his damage as a passer through the air, but Daniels was highlighted more, I think, for his running ability over the last few months.”
Kevin pointed out that Michael Penix Jr. had ‘multiple NFL receivers, a great offensive line, and a big-time running back before he got hurt’ at Washington, but also doesn’t get that look – and again, because Penix, like Burrow, was a passer first, second, and third.
“Maybe because the mobility aspect to his game wasn't what people were obsessed with? I think people got obsessed with Jayden Daniels' ability to run the football,” Kevin said. “If you go back to that Joe Burrow draft in 2020, Tua didn't really, you know, have people talking a lot about DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle and multiple highly-drafted professional offensive linemen, and Najee Harris in the backfield, because the big reason for his success, at least the perception, was his left arm. And I think with Jayden, even though I believe the narrative is wrong to view him as a run first quarterback, because I don't think that's what he was at all, I think people were obsessed with the highlight reels that focused a lot on his running that some of his passing results get pawned off as like a by-product of the weapons he had around him.”
“I was ready at in the lead up to the draft to slam my head through a wall, like, we gotta stop talking about this,” Denton Day chimed in. “The guy can actually play, and if you remember, the knock on Brian Thomas at the beginning of the season was he wasn't very good, and now all of a sudden, Jayden Daniels is getting drafted and Brian Thomas is like this otherworldly wide receiver. I think Brian Thomas is good, but I think Jayden Daniels made him a lot better.”
Take a listen above to Kevin and Denton’s entire discussion on the Daniels situation, the Burrow/Tua comps, and more above!