The Bucs may have found one of the most intriguing undrafted quarterbacks in the NFL, with Jalon Daniels already turning heads during the team’s offseason program. Daniels has quickly made the backup quarterback position battle one to watch this summer.

Offseason signing Jake Browning will enter training camp as the favorite for the No. 2 quarterback job. Still, Daniels and Connor Bazelak are pushing to make the battle far more competitive than expected. Based on what offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and general manager Jason Licht said last week about the room, all eyes will be on Daniels’ progression.

Zac Robinson Says Jalon Daniels Was The Rookie Who Stood Out In Mini-Camp

The buzz surrounding Jalon Daniels was a significant development in the aftermath of Bucs rookie mini-camp. Quarterbacks obviously get the most attention, but Daniels is unlike the other undrafted signal-callers the team has brought in over the years. He immediately stands out for his dual-threat ability, possessing a powerful arm and running a 4.65 40-yard dash.

Those traits were not enough to get him drafted last month, but they intrigued Tampa Bay enough to bring him in.

Zac Robinson was quick to mention Daniels by name when asked about which rookies stood out. In fact, he was the only one he mentioned.

Bucs QBs coach Chandler Whitmer, QB Jalon Daniels and OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Jalon Daniels was a guy we were excited about,” Robinson said. “We thought he was going to get drafted; we were really surprised he did not get drafted. He was a guy — we brought him in on a 30 visit and enjoyed spending time [with him]. He’s got a great energy about him; he’s played a lot of football as well at Kansas. He’s had some ups and downs, faced some adversity, which you love to see from a quarterback handling those things. He sticks out, he’s got really good arm talent, he’s got some athleticism, he sees the game well, he processes.

“Got to clean up a lot of things fundamentally from college, which most of these guys do, but Jalon I thought did a great job commanding the rookie camp. These guys get in here, and you have to have a quarterback who take charge and get guys lined up. He did a great job with just the operation so, he is one that we are definitely excited about.”

Daniels was given a lot of time to develop with the Jayhawks, finding ways to see the field and putting together impressive spurts of play during his first four seasons there. He eventually became Kansas’ full-time starter over his final two seasons. That led to more growing pains, but it also gave him 49 games of experience under his belt. Altogether, Daniels had 9,282 passing yards, 67 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions. He added three seasons of 400-plus rushing yards, with a total of 1,445 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images

His playmaking ability has Jason Licht pumped to see him during training camp as he continues to grasp an NFL offense.

“It’s been a lot of fun watching Jalon Daniels,” Licht said on the Pewter Report Podcast. “I can predict it’s going to be exciting to watch him in training camp and preseason. He’s got a very good arm, and he’s a really good athlete. He put some good tape out there when he was at Kansas. Sharp kid, natural leader.”

Jake Browning Leads Bucs Backup QB Race, But He’ll Have To Watch Out

While Jalon Daniels will draw the most headlines of the Bucs backup quarterbacks given his status as a rookie, he faces stiff competition to make the 53-man roster. Ahead of him on the depth chart is veteran Jake Browning and second-year undrafted free agent Connor Bazelak.

Browning has the most experience with a 4-6 record as an NFL starter, while Bazelak was promising during last year’s preseason. That makes it no easy hill to climb for Daniels, especially as the fourth arm in the room. With that being said, Jason Licht reiterated that it is a legit competition and alluded to it being more open than previously believed.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“We were really excited to get Jake, and he’s done a really good job, too,” Licht said of signing Browning this offseason. “I was stressing Daniels just because he’s a rookie, and we were talking about those guys through the rookie mini-camp, but really excited to have him. I would say it’s too early now. We signed him as our backup, and we also signed Daniels to [provide] competition, and we really like “Baze” [Connor Bazelak], too.

“It’s going to be a good competition. It’s always good to do that, we haven’t always had that here where we have several players that we feel excited about and have a lot of positive attributes. That is one to watch for Bucs fans during training camp and during the preseason — I think it’s legit.”

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

When it comes to offense, Licht and head coach Todd Bowles will surely consider the input Zac Robinson has on the operation. Bowles will take a hands-off approach to Robinson this season, as he is an experienced offensive coordinator who knows what he wants at each position. That includes quarterback, where he pointed to Browning having an upper hand with many of the qualities he looks for.

“Jake has played a lot of football,” Robinson said. “He’s incredibly smart, he can process, he’s very accurate, he can move around in the pocket well enough to extend some plays. He was a guy that you’ve seen for a long time, obviously he’s had an extended amount of time in Cincinnati. I’ve always just kind of liked his game from afar just because how clean he sees the game… As long as he’s got time in the pocket, he throws it accurately.”

How it all shakes out remains to be seen, and Jalon Daniels will have every chance to prove the offseason hype is warranted. The Bucs clearly believe he is more than a camp arm, and if his early momentum carries into preseason action, Tampa Bay’s backup quarterback battle could become one of the team’s most compelling camp storylines.