Every draft pick, even those taken No. 2 overall, is a little bit of a gamble, but it didn't take long for Adam Peters to realize he made the right choice by taking Jayden Daniels in his first season as the Washington Commanders' general manager.

Peters, now in his second year leading the Commanders, appeared on the Pat McAfee show on May 6 to talk about the team's soaring success over the past year. Obviously, Daniels, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, became a key topic, as he was the main driver for the Commanders' NFC Championship run in 2024.

McAfee asked Peters when he truly knew Daniels could be the franchise's long-term answer at quarterback. That conclusion became clearer during the draft process, but it became truly obvious about a day after Daniels took the stage in Detroit.

"The moment we flew him in here...after we drafted him, he wanted to go through the playbook while he was here," Peters told McAfee. "He was doing drop backs on the plane to fly him back to [Los Angeles]."

That falls in line with what Commanders fans and players have come to expect from Daniels. He won his teammates over with his work ethic, rather than his talent, and it earned the respect of veterans like linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz.

"He really, really cares about this thing," Ertz said. "He wants to be as good as he can possibly be. He's working his butt off."

All that work paid off, and the awards began to pile up for Daniels throughout his rookie season. He was named the NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week a record-setting 11 times and broke several other team and league records on the way to helping the Commanders get their best season in decades. He also accounted for more than 5,000 yards in the regular season and playoffs, another rookie record, which helped him become the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

All the while, Daniels kept the same demeanor, and that also helped convince Peters he had made the right decision.

"Every step of the way, you could see the humility he had, the work ethic that he had, just the way he connected with his teammates out," Peters said. "He earned everything he had. So, it was just kind of a step-by-step process, but you could feel it right away."

Daniels and the Commanders still have plenty to prove in his second season. They're facing a more difficult schedule with higher expectations from him and the franchise around the league. But based on how Daniels has conducted himself over the past year, he'll be ready for the challenge.

"Just show up every day and be myself," Daniels said last May. "Earn the respect of the guy by working hard. I consider myself a hard worker, and it shows. That's how I'm going to win over and earn the respect of my teammates."