Jalon Daniels entered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offseason program as an undrafted rookie simply trying to earn a place in the organization. A few months later, he will open the regular season one play away from being Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback, and that unlikely rise has certainly caught the attention of general manager Jason Licht.
Speaking with NFL Network’s Sara Walsh, Licht summed up Daniels’ path to becoming Baker Mayfield’s backup with some significant praise. “There’s no blueprint for an undrafted rookie becoming your number 2 quarterback,” Licht told Walsh. “Jalon basically wrote his own.” That statement carries even more weight given how rare Daniels’ situation is. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last undrafted rookie quarterback to be active
for Week 1 was Trevone Boykin with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016. Daniels didn't simply survive roster cuts, either. He beat out veteran Jake Browning for the job and convinced Tampa Bay it could enter the season with only two quarterbacks on its initial 53-man roster.
Licht has made it clear that Daniels' draft status won't prevent him from winning the job. "The number-one thing is, he earned it,” Licht said. “It wasn't just given to him.”Daniels steadily climbed throughout the summer, but his preseason performance helped solidify his case. He completed 27 of 44 passes for 239 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions while adding 37 yards and another touchdown on the ground. More importantly, Tampa Bay saw poise and command from a quarterback who was supposed to be a developmental project. The Bucs apparently began viewing Daniels differently after their first preseason game against the Jets. Licht said conversations shifted from Daniels needing to prove he could be the backup to essentially needing to prove that he couldn't. He never gave them a reason to change course. There is still considerable risk involved. Daniels has never taken a regular-season NFL snap, and Tampa Bay is trying to contend for another NFC South title. If Mayfield misses time, the Bucs would be handing their offense to an undrafted rookie. Yet Licht doesn't appear interested in keeping a veteran around simply for the comfort of experience. He said Tampa Bay would rather have a talented, prepared, inexperienced quarterback than choose experience just for the sake of it. The Bucs aren't treating him like an undrafted rookie they hope to develop eventually. They've trusted him with one of the most important backup jobs on the roster because they believe he earned it.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Jason Licht’s praise shows just how much Jalon Daniels impressed
