Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels could be one of the wild cards in the 2025 NFL Draft. At the current moment, what is his standing in an unsettled group?
Daniels’ 2024 campaign hasn’t gotten off to a particularly strong start, but the Jayhawks’ signal-caller is at least healthy and has the tools to ascend if he can right the ship.
Jalon Daniels’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’0″
- Weight: 218 pounds
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Kansas
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
Not to be confused with the similarly-named Jayden Daniels — who won the Heisman in 2023 and was selected second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders — Jalon Daniels has become a fixture in Lawrence, Kan.
At first, as a productive three-star recruit out of Lawndale, Calif., Daniels committed to Middle Tennessee State. But when the opportunity came to help revitalize a struggling Power conference program in Kansas, he had to take hold of it.
Change for the better didn’t materialize at first. Kansas went 0-9 in Daniels’ first year, and he himself was 0-6 as a starter.
Nevertheless, Daniels flashed promise. The very first pass of his career was a 48-yard touchdown, which was Kansas’ longest passing play of the year.
After the 2020 season, Les Miles was let go, and Lance Leipold took his place as Kansas’ head coach. Leipold gave the starting QB job to Jason Bean after a camp battle in 2021, but an injury allowed Daniels to shine late in the year.
Daniels ended the year with 860 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions in limited action. He ultimately carried the starting job into the 2022 campaign, which would feature his best work yet.
Although he missed time due to a shoulder injury, Daniels went 5-4 as a starter, helping lead the Jayhawks to their first bowl game since 2008. He completed 66.1% of his throws for 2,014 yards, 18 TDs, and just four INTs. He also ran for 425 yards and seven scores.
By the 2023 offseason, many had Daniels on the radar as an NFL Draft sleeper. But a back injury caused him to miss the first game in 2023. Just three weeks later, he was sidelined again — this time indefinitely.
Daniels ultimately needed time to recuperate from his injury, and so he missed most of the 2023 season. But in limited action, even at less than 100%, Daniels proved himself to be a quality signal-caller in 2023, passing for 705 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
His efficiency also did not suffer in 2023, as he completed almost 75% of his attempts at an average of almost 10 yards.
Daniels could have transferred for a fresh start, but instead, he chose to stay at Kansas and finish what he started. Now, he’s once again a name to know in the 2025 NFL Draft. His 2024 campaign hasn’t been as efficient thus far, but Daniels’ talent still shines.
Daniels’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Good athlete with speed, burst, slippery agility, and evasiveness inside the pocket.
- Has the rare arm elasticity to widen throwing angles and maintain pace off-platform.
- Flashes the arm strength to drive the ball into corner pockets from the opposite hash.
- Combines change of direction with effortless off-platform torquing ability off-script.
- Hip flexibility is an asset in evasion, allowing him to quickly divert and reach the flats.
- Has a crisp, whip-like release and can let loose lasers through the intermediate level.
- Able to layer tight window and red-zone throws with impressive touch and velocity.
- Showcases the necessary processing capacity to anticipate windows over the middle.
- Mechanically sound passer with great hip load, torque, and shoulder alignment.
- Sequences his mechanics well on rhythm and quick game throws, loading and releasing.
- Has great general accuracy and can consistently throw to WR leverage or to the torso.
- Knows when to dial back his arm and focus on situational precision and touch.
- Has shown he can sense surging edge pressure and escape through interior gaps.
- Has good discretion and risk propensity and won’t often try to force ill-advised throws.
- Savvy ball handler with experience conducting option, misdirection, and action plays.
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t quite have elite arm strength as velocity wanes in the deep third.
- Isn’t quite an elite explosive threat and sometimes overestimates ability in space.
- Sometimes puts too much on seam and boundary passes when attempting to drive.
- Dropback footwork can be a bit too slow and lackadaisical at times, delaying reads.
- Sometimes has poor depth discipline, drifting and pedaling too far back in the pocket.
- Tendency to drift can render him a tick late on route-break anticipation throws.
- At times, can drive his hips a bit better to sustain more velocity on deep pass attempts.
- Can be slow to progress off initial reads, inducing operational volatility under pressure.
- Sometimes fails to see secondary reads breaking open and hesitates, holding the ball.
- Vision on the scramble drill can be inconsistent, as he sometimes misses open outlets.
- Across four seasons, has just 21 starts and has routinely struggled to stay healthy.
- Suffered a shoulder injury in 2022 and a debilitating back issue that lingered in 2023.
- Injuries may have impacted his ability to find comfort and stack operational growth.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Daniels grades out as an early-to-mid Day 3 prospect on my board. However, if he can stay healthy and develop his processing and pocket navigation skills, he has the physical talent to potentially rise further.
Even with an abundance of starting experience, Daniels’ evaluation still involves a great deal of uncertainty. And until he can complete a full season, injuries will be the darkest cloud hovering over his projection.
Some quarterbacks — like 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. — have proven they can stack healthy seasons after early injuries. But for others, durability remains an issue, both for availability and stacked development. The 2024 season may determine which bucket Daniels falls into.
Thus far, Daniels has remained healthy in 2024, but he also hasn’t shown much development on the operational side. There’s still time, of course. Daniels is still a stellar creative threat with eye-catching athleticism and arm elasticity. That’s a foundation he can build off of.
Going further, Daniels has impressive feel when it comes to sequencing his mechanics, as well as attuning for accuracy and touch on different kinds of throws. To that end, he also has the composite arm talent to layer pace and touch, as well as remain a threat off-platform.
Anticipation, progression work, and pocket depth discipline are areas for Daniels to focus on in 2024.
If his development stagnates, Daniels could still field mid-to-late-round consideration in the 2025 NFL Draft. If his current trajectory holds, that may be where he lands. Nevertheless, there’s still early-round upside lurking beneath the surface.