Kansas QB Jalon Daniels Bounces Back with a New Concern

Resilient.

That word best describes Kansas quarterback (QB) Jalon Daniels.

After only playing in three games in 2023, Daniels managed to shake the injury bug to stay on the field in 2024.

How did he look on game film?

Rusty at first.

However, once he got his football legs back underneath him, he looked better and better as the season progressed.

Daniels is a QB who’s been on my radar now since the 2022 season, and he’s someone I’ve been fond of. All along, I’ve seen him as a solid NFL backup prospect.

However, he’s never returned to his early 2022 form.

Does he still have NFL potential?

Yes.

Did Daniels regress in 2024?

Yes.

Daniels’ deep game has not been up to par since I began evaluating him, and that trend continued this past season. It’s not that he’s afraid to attempt to stretch the field; it’s actually the opposite, he aggressively likes to attack secondaries, he’s just not accurate enough doing it.

• 24/68 +19 air yards (35.3%)

Daniels is more of a game manager type.

Always has been.

How did he look in the 0-19 yard route range?

Daniels was at his best in the short range (0-9 yards) and when he got the ball out of his hand on time. The longer he held the ball, the more things went sideways. Not always, there are times he flashes some playmaking ability, but by and large, his intermediate passing game (10-19 yards) is not where it needs to be.

Daniels Biggest Concern

Is he a consistent enough game manager to win with?

No.

Why?

Daniels started doing something new in 2024 that he had not done before. I went back and read through my older reports, and I didn’t see this newest concern.

There were several times he threw it right to a defender.

That’s not good.

There were also several times he threw it haphazardly into double coverage.

That’s not good either.

Both of these new developments also showed up in his 14-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio (ESPN), which was noticeably closer together than the past two seasons.

Touchdown-to-Interception ratio:

• 2023: 5:1
• 2022: 18:4

NFL value

Because of this new bent he has on throwing dangerous passes, I have no choice but to drop him down my board.

Daniels has a lot to prove this season as his tape (and grades) have been steadily declining since 2022.

Everything will be decided by the traits, tendencies, and patterns he consistently produces this season, and how that ties back to his previous scouting reports (linked below).

It’s about seeing the BIG picture.

#6 Jalon Daniels 6-foot-0, 220 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Summer Grade: Fifth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 0% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of June 26, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

49ers’ Scouts Need to Watch Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (2022: 4 games evaluated)

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels-Grade Drops to Third Round (2022: 4 games evaluated)

There’s One Big Question With QB Jalon Daniels (2023: 2 games evaluated)

2024 game film evaluated: Linderwood, Illinois, UNLV, West Virginia, TCU, Houston, Kansas State, Iowa State, BYU, Colorado, and Baylor (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Injury risk: High

2024 time to throw 3.08 seconds (Pro Football Focus)

2024: 10 sacks

Daniels started every game in 2024 — the first time he had done so in five years with the Jayhawks (CBS)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic prospect. Muscular and toned frame. Competitive. Tough. Run heavy play-action system. Flashes fast release. Mobile. Average accuracy off-platform. Inconsistent going through reads. Unstable decision making. Good arm strength. Relies too much on upper body when throwing, which affects his ball location. Inconsistent velocity on his throws. Capable of lacing it into tight throwing windows. Average accuracy. Below average placement. Lacks throwing instincts. Flashes big-league throws. Likes to work the perimeters when throwing. PBUs: 16/11 games (1.45 per game average). Above-average running speed. Not good at protecting his body as a runner. Doesn’t slide or duck out of bounds much. Tends to take on physical contact.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Stays healthy?

2. Time to throw?

3. Dangerous passes?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.