Saturday marked the NFL debuts of the Nos. 1 and 2 overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, as Caleb Williams saw his first preseason action for the Chicago Bears and Jayden Daniels made his debut for the Washington Commanders.
Daniels took the field first and quickly made his presence known. The rookie’s first NFL pass saw him fire a screen over the top of Austin Ekeler’s head. But it didn’t take long for him to bounce back.
On the Commanders’ third play from scrimmage, Daniels found third-year wideout Dyami Brown streaking up the sideline for a 42-yard gain working against backup cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse.
That’s just a beautifully placed ball, thrown calmly from the center of the pocket at the top of his drop. And Brown does a great job of using his body to shield the defender away from the ball and then haul it in over his shoulder.
Perhaps even more impressively, Daniels apparently called the play on his own.
“He made a check mid-play. It turned out to be a big gain,” offensive lineman Sam Cosmi said, via the Washington Post. “We bunkered down and really went in there. He was calm and collected, which is what you want to see, and it was really impressive. We all sat on the sideline and we were like, ‘Dang, that was really fun.’ So, I think everybody should be very excited just from that little sneak peek right there. I know I am. I know I am. I know the guys are fired up. I think we got a dude back there.”
A few snaps after the big gain up the sideline (and following a prolonged measurement using the new virtual system), Daniels ran it into the end zone from 3 yards out on third-and-goal.
That’s a very simple zone read, with Daniels spotting the defensive lineman crashing down toward the handoff, pulling the ball out and taking off around the edge. After taking it across the goal line, Daniels went and handed the ball to his mom. At the end of his first career drive, Daniels was 2 of 3 for 45 yards in the air along with that lone TD run. Daniels was replaced for the second drive by veteran Marcus Mariota.
Williams, meanwhile, also created a highlight-reel play on his first drive. After a setback via holding penalty, the Bears found themselves in third-and-long, but Williams hung in the pocket and found wide receiver D.J. Moore for a 12-yard gain to move the sticks. On the very next snap, Williams pulled one out of his bag of tricks.
As the pocket collapsed around him, Williams flipped the ball forward to running back D’Andre Swift, who took off for a 42-yard gain.
That’s the type of improvisation that made Williams such a tantalizing prospect, and we got a glimpse of it in his very first NFL action. The Bears’ drive eventually stalled out in the red zone after Khalil Herbert was stuffed on a third-and-short carry, but Cairo Santos knocked a 30-yard field goal through the uprights to give Chicago a 3-0 lead.
Williams again showcased his playmaking abilities on Chicago’s second drive. He fired an absolute laser on the move to tight end Cole Kmet for a big gain up the right sideline, and later stepped up through the pocket and took off down the middle to pick up a first down.
The drive again stalled out in the red zone and ended with a field goal, but on his first two possessions, Williams impressed, going 4 of 7 for 95 yards, along with a 13-yard scramble, as Chicago put points on the board on both trips up the field.
