The Iowa football team is known for churning out great offensive lineman and James Daniels is on that path now as he begins his second year with Chicago.
James Daniels was a typical offensive lineman for the Iowa football program: hardworking and talented. Daniels paved his way to where he is at today.
Daniels was one of two to enter the 2018 NFL Draft early from the Iowa football team, and he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 2018 NFL draft in the 2nd round; the first time in quite some time that the Bears organization drafted an Iowa Hawkeye.
Going into his rookie season, Daniels was not a starter for the Chicago Bears, but it didn’t take long for him to change that. It wasn’t, however, at the position he is familiar with.
James Daniels played the center position for the Iowa football program, and the Bears drafted him as a center. Going into the 2018 season though, Chicago already had its center in Cody Whitehair.
Despite a clear-cut starter in front of him, Daniels still played center for the Bears during the preseason so he could get comfortable with that position but at the top level in all of football.
When week 7 hit the Chicago bears had an injury at the right guard position and needed someone to fill that void, and James Daniels stepped right in.
The good thing about Daniels he has the versatility to be able to move around the offense line and play well at the respected position. Daniels held his own after getting the start in week 7 and into the playoffs going up against some of the best defensive lineman in the league.
A couple of weeks ago during OTAs Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy named James Daniels the starting center for the 2019 NFL season. This is big news for Daniels getting the starting nod overall going into his second season for a team that is on the rise.
I look for James Daniels to be a key component in the Bears offense and developing a great relationship with Bears quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, similar to the way he did with the Iowa football program and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback CJ Beathard and this year’s starting quarterback Nate Stanley.