Jalon Daniels QB Kansas |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #6 PLAY STYLE: Mobile Pocket Passer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/22/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.65 seconds (84%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #6 | |
| PLAY STYLE: Mobile Pocket Passer | |
| Last Updated: 03/22/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.65 seconds (84%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 78.7 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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78% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
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76% |
| Short Passing: |
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67% |
| Medium Passing: |
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68% |
| Long Passing: |
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89% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
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70% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#271
Position rank:
#12 (QB)
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| College Games: 48 College Snaps: 2698 | ||
ESPN RATING: 71/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 80/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.4 (89%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Travis - Florida State |
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85% |
| Michael Pratt - Tulane |
|
85% |
| EJ Perry - Brown |
|
78% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Jalon Daniels came to Lawrence out of Lawndale High School in Lawndale, California as a three-star recruit and wound up playing six seasons for the Jayhawks. He started as a true freshman during the shortened 2020 campaign, completing his very first pass attempt for a 48-yard touchdown against TCU. Kansas went 0-9 that year, but Daniels showed enough flashes to keep eyes on him going forward.The Lance Leipold era changed things. Daniels won the starting job for good in late 2021, and by 2022 he was the engine behind Kansas's first bowl appearance since 2008. He threw for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns that season, then capped it with a 544-yard, six-touchdown Liberty Bowl performance against Arkansas that set a school record. A back injury wiped out most of 2023 after he had been named Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, limiting him to three games.
He returned in 2024 and threw for 2,454 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before closing his career in 2025 with 2,531 yards and a career-high 22 passing touchdowns. He finished second in Kansas history in career passing yards (9,282) and passing touchdowns (67), and his 23 career rushing touchdowns are tied for the most ever by a Jayhawk quarterback.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Very good athlete for the position with legit speed as a runner.
- Quick release gets the ball out in a hurry on short concepts.
- Capable of making throws from off-platform and awkward body positions.
- Willing scrambler who picks up first downs with his legs consistently.
- Can uncork the deep ball when his feet are set and mechanics are right.
- Good enough touch on screens and check-downs to let receivers run after the catch.
- Competitive runner between the tackles who does not shy from contact.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Intermediate accuracy is a real problem, especially on timing routes.
- Does not climb the pocket well and tends to bail too early.
- Coverage recognition is inconsistent, particularly reading deep safeties.
- Six college seasons and the processing still lags under pressure.
- Significant injury history including shoulder, back, and knee concerns.
- Ball security is poor; fumble issues showed up again in 2025.
- Undersized frame raises durability questions given his running style.
Scouting Report: Summary
Daniels is a tricky evaluation because the physical tools flash on tape but the full-season consistency has never been there across his six years at Kansas. He can make the wow throw on a deep shot when everything lines up, and his speed as a runner gives him a dimension most quarterbacks at this level simply do not have. The problem is that between those highlight plays, the film shows a passer who struggles to connect on the intermediate stuff that makes an NFL offense go. Too many of his interceptions come from failing to see the safety rotating over the top, and his footwork in the pocket gets sloppy when things break down around him.The injury file is hard to ignore. Shoulder problems in 2022, back issues that stole his 2023, a knee procedure before 2025. For a guy who relies on his athleticism as much as Daniels does, the durability question matters more than it would for a pure pocket passer. His frame is on the smaller side for the position, which only adds to that concern.
If a team drafts him, it will be for the athletic upside and the arm talent on vertical throws, with the understanding that he needs significant development as a pocket passer. He fits best in a spread-based system that moves him around, uses designed runs, and does not ask him to stand in and read three levels from the pocket on every snap. A practice squad stint and patient development plan would be the most realistic path forward. There is a real conversation to be had about whether his skill set translates better to another position at the next level.
Written By:
Eli Cooper (Big 12)
Jalon Daniels percentiles vs other Quarterbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jalon Daniels (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
269.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
26.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.