The Kansas City Chiefs met with Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels for several hours during a local pro day, similar to a Top-30 visit. This meeting allows the team to evaluate local players without it counting against their official visit limit.
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels (QB06) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels (QB06) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
The NFL allows local players to be tested at the clubās facility without those visits counting against the teamās top 30 visits, as long as the team does not pay for the playersā transportation to the facility.
Background
Jayhawk fans will be familiar with Daniels as the folk hero quarterback who played six seasons at KU.
In 2022, he led the team to its first bowl game since 2008, although the 6-6 Jayhawks ultimately lost 55-53 in overtime to the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Liberty Bowl. Daniels threw for 544 yards and five touchdowns in the losing effort. While 2022 was the coming-out party for Daniels, he was unable to capitalize and build on his success in 2023; he only appeared in three games amid injury struggles.
Daniels had an up-and-down year in 2024 and struggled with turnovers, throwing 12 interceptions and just 14 touchdowns. In 2025, Daniels was back to his 2022 form, but the Jayhawks floundered down the stretch, losing five of their last six games and averaging just 17.8 points per game in those losses.
Aside from a middling Kansas team, the largest program that made Daniels an offer out of high school was Army. For the three-star recruit from Lawndale, California, Danielsā college career is mostly a story of untapped potential. Considering where the Jayhawks were when Daniels stepped on the field (arguably the worst team in the Power Five), the turnaround to where the program currently stands is quite remarkable.
None of this happened by accident, however. Jalon Danielsā mother, Star, was an instrumental part of her sonās life, and the reason he is the man and player he is today. A single mother, Star worked two jobs to provide for her son and waited for him in the car outside of high school parties to make sure he got home on time and did not miss curfew. Per Dane Brugler of The Athletic, she made academics as important as sports and told him:
āIām going to make sure you have 100 percent of what you need, 90 percent of what you want,ā Star told her only son, ābut you have to do your job, because I donāt get to quit my job.ā
Daniels never wavered from his motherās teachings. He knew that college programs ādonāt want a dumb quarterback.ā
With his initial earnings via NIL (name, image and likeness), he decided to pay forward his motherās love by starting the MOM2JD6 nonprofit organization, whose mission is to provide single-parent homes with the resources needed for their families to succeed in sports and education.
My analysis
Daniels has intriguing intangibles as a prospect, most notably his mobility and arm strength.
While he will never be confused with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, he is quick enough to escape the pocket and pick up easy yards when the defense allows it. He is excellent at avoiding pass rushers and extending the play when needed. Being undersized for the position, however, has seemingly led to injuries more often than any player would like. He is also an inaccurate passer most of the time.
Daniels also struggles with getting through his progressions quickly enough and cannot process the entire field; he is often relegated to picking a side of the field and staying there throughout the life of the rep ā regardless of who is open on the other side of the field. He also tends to stare down his receivers, like in the clip above.
Still, Daniels shows enough flashes to pique your interest. He has a nice touch on his passes and throws a very catchable ball. One argument in Danielsā defense is that Kansas has not had a premier receiving target during his time there. The production and highlights on his resume come with underwhelming offensive weapons.
Daniels does a great job in this video of keeping his head up and his eyes downfield as he rolls out and drops a 25-yard dime in the bucket of the receiver while on the move.
There are small flashes of a young, raw version of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Daniels, as he is always looking for the homerun swing and does not shy away from trusting his receivers, allowing them to go up and win the ball. The issue is that many of his best moments in college will yield interceptions in the pros.
Fit with the Chiefs
Fit: Low
Round grade: seventh round or UDFA (undrafted rookie free agent)
The Chiefs have Justin Fields on the roster as Mahomesā backup for the 2026 season. The organization rarely keeps three quarterbacks on the active roster. So, unless Kansas City is eyeing a position change for Daniels, the best he could hope for on this team is to spend the 2026 season on the practice squad.
With all the needs on this roster, the Chiefs should under no circumstances use a draft pick on a quarterback in this mediocre quarterback class. But if he is available as an undrafted free agent, it would be fun to take a swing at Daniels and see how it works out.
Q&A
What is the significance of the Chiefs meeting with Jalon Daniels?
The meeting indicates the Chiefs' interest in evaluating Jalon Daniels as a potential draft pick, allowing them to assess local talent more closely.
How does the NFL's local pro day work for teams like the Chiefs?
Local pro days allow NFL teams to test and evaluate nearby players without counting those visits against their official top-30 visit limit, provided they do not cover transportation costs.
What are the rules for NFL teams regarding local player visits?
NFL teams can host local players for workouts and meetings without those visits counting against their top-30 limit, as long as they do not pay for the players' travel expenses.
Who is Jalon Daniels and why is he being evaluated by the Chiefs?
Jalon Daniels is the quarterback for the Kansas Jayhawks, and the Chiefs are evaluating him as a potential candidate for their roster ahead of the NFL draft.
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