The NFL world was left in a frenzy after a viral photo of the famous draft prospect Jayden Daniels began doing the rounds. The picture, which seems as normal as any at first glance, upon closer inspection reveals a peculiar lump on his throwing elbow. For someone as enthusiastic as the LSU quarterback, having such a distortion is unexpected, causing the internet to buzz with speculation about his condition.
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Ian Rapoport initially shared Daniel’s image to announce the latter’s visit to a few NFL franchises, but once fans took notice of the lump, it sparked all sorts of speculations. Is he fit for the gridiron? Should clubs look the other way? And so forth. As the intrigue built, Jesse Moore, a Sports & Family Medicine Physician from Miami, took charge of the situation with his expert advice. In a post, he highlighted how Daniels wore a tape or a sleeve in a few matches and skipped it in others, indicating that it might depend on the extent of the inflammation.
“You can see he sometimes wears tape, a sleeve or nothing at all. My guess is it depends on how inflamed his elbow (olecranon) bursa is,” Moore wrote in his tweet.
Likewise, Dr. Jazrawi also graced the New York Post with his opinion about the recovery and its repercussions. Throwing light on the situation, Dr. Jazrawi explained that olecranon bursitis can be treated with cortisone injections or surgical removal of the bursa.
“It’s nothing you need to wait on healing time. It’s really, you take it out and you’re fine,” Jazrawi said. “And it’s not even painful, to begin with for some people, which likely includes Daniels, because he had it and he wasn’t complaining. It sounds like he played pretty well,” thus sidelining any major concerns.
So, there you have it: It’s barely an issue. While the elbow inflammation sparked intense concerns among fans, it can be said with certainty that it won’t affect his draft stock.
Jayden Daniels’ Possible Landing Spot
Daniels had a standout season with the LSU Tigers before declaring for the draft. In 2023 alone, the 2019 Sun Bowl MVP threw for 3,812 yards and scored 40 passing touchdowns. His performance on the ground was exceptional as well, as he managed to not only tally 10 rushing scores but also accumulate 1134 yards from 135 attempts.
Daniels’ performance throughout the 2023 season earned him the prestigious Heisman Trophy too. With such impressive stats, he is poised to be a top-three pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, possibly going as high as second overall. Former Trojans star Caleb Williams is currently the crowd-favorite and will likely land in Chicago, as the Bears currently hold the first overall pick. The Commanders, who concluded the 2023 season with a disappointing 4-13 record, are currently in possession of the second overall pick and would likely go for Jayden if everything falls into place.
If the former Redskins, however, decide to opt out of selecting a QB in the upcoming draft, Jayden would likely get picked by such teams as the Vikings, Patriots, Raiders, and Giants, depending on trade decisions.
