No one watches more NFL tape than Greg Cosell. The longtime NFL Films producer created the “NFL Matchup” show over 30 years ago, which has remained football’s premier Xs & Os show. The only complaint is it’s not long enough.
Cosell is a popular guest on the podcast and radio circuit and co-hosts a podcast with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.
Cosell recently joined the “John Keim Report” podcast, where he talked exclusively about the Washington Commanders. He also extensively covered rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
What does Cosell think of Daniels? First of all, he really likes him.
“He’s not just a runner; obviously, he’s incredibly dynamic, but I think as he’s played more, he’s a pocket quarterback,” Cosell said. “He leaves the pocket when, for the most part, it’s a last resort.”
The NFL has changed over the years with quarterback style, but being able to throw consistently from the pocket remains one of the most important traits for any successful NFL passer.
Remember, one criticism of Daniels ahead of the 2024 NFL draft was that he didn’t throw to the middle of the field enough. Analysts praised his deep ball but believed others, like Drake Maye, did a better job throwing between the numbers.
Cosell sees no issues here.
“For the most part, he lets the system work,” Cosell continued. “I thought one of the things that really stood out this year from his LSU tape was his willingness to work through the progressions and make progression-read throws. And particularly make throws in the middle of the field between the numbers. Which for a lot of quarterbacks coming from college to the NFL, John, and you know this, is an issue because the hash marks are closer. And sometimes it seems to young quarterbacks like there are 15 defenders on the field when they have to make throws in the middle of the field because it’s tighter. In college, you don’t necessarily have that issue because the hash marks are wider, and the defense has to stretch horizontally to deal with that, and therefore the middle is often wide open.”
What about his arm strength?
“He doesn’t have a power arm, but he can certainly make all the throws,” he said. “I just thought there was a calmness and a poise, composure to his game. He played effectively and efficiently from the pocket. And he made the kinds of throws you see in NFL games. He wasn’t one of those guys that built up his numbers throwing tunnel screens.”
Cosell doesn’t buy that Daniels became a top prospect because of his 2023 season. He started looking at him as a potentially elite prospect last summer based on his 2022 tape. Cosell also noted how good Daniels was as a true freshman at Arizona State, and he has continued to improve.
Another criticism of Daniels was that he threw to elite receivers at LSU. As we’ve stated before with Joe Burrow, that was a foolish criticism. Cosell used the same comparison.
There was a lot more in this conversation that we’d encourage you to check out, with more on Daniels and some good stuff on offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
You can watch the entire segment below.
Cosell’s opinion carries a lot of weight. He’s seen it all over the years and he studies every player — every throw. He views Daniels as a complete quarterback who can run.