QB leads undrafted free agents who could earn a Bucs roster spot

Jalon Daniels launched a deep throw to veteran David Sills in the back of the end zone Wednesday, punctuating a 7-on-7 period with a touchdown. It was just one of many impressive passes that the undrafted rookie from Kansas has made since joining the Bucs in May.

Daniels is almost a lock to at least earn a spot on the practice squad, but he would have to beat out Connor Bazelak to earn the No. 3 quarterback spot.

The former Kansas quarterback possesses a lot of traits - in terms of size, arm strength and mobility - as Baker Mayfield, who may be a perfect mentor for Daniels.

Each time the former Jayhawks star connects with an open receiver, he opens more eyes.

Head coach Todd Bowles was impressed by the way Daniels enabled the offense to operate during rookie minicamp this week when he took most of the repetitions.

“He didn’t put the ball on the ground; he didn’t turn it over,” Bowles said. “He’s probably one of the more energetic rookies that I’ve seen come in in quite some time. The game’s not too big for him. He’s full of energy in the building. Very happy to be here. Very smart. Very intelligent. I’m really excited to see what he can do.”

The Bucs have always done a good job of finding undrafted players to make an impact under general manager Jason Licht. The list includes recent players such as running back Sean Tucker, defensive back Christian Izien and tackle Ben Chukwuma. Before that, there were even more evolving stars such as tight end Cameron Brate and receiver Adam Humphries.

The Bucs rewarded Daniels with $272,500 in guaranteed money, meaning his chances of sticking around after the preseason are pretty good. The only question is whether the Bucs will risk exposing him to waivers if he has a good showing in preseason games.

“Jalon Daniels was a guy we were excited about,” offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. “We thought he was going to get drafted. ... He’s got really good arm talent. He’s got some athleticism. He sees the game well. He processes. He’s got to clean up some things fundamentally from college, which most of these guys do. But Jalon I thought did a great job just commanding the rookie camp.”

Former Bengals backup Jake Browning, who signed a one-year deal with the Bucs, will serve as the No. 2 signal caller. At 6-foot-1, Daniels is a dual threat like Mayfield. He passed for 9,282 yards and 67 touchdowns at Kansas while rushing for 1,445 yards and 23 scores. He runs a 4.6 40-yard dash.

“For me it’s about being able to see what he’s doing and be able to pick little things up,” Daniels said of Mayfield. “I mean, obviously you know, he’s going to Year 9 in the NFL now. So, he’s played this game for quite some time, and he has a lot of knowledge within this game that I don’t have yet. I would continue to want to be able to work with him.”

There are several undrafted free agents with a good shot to make the 53-man roster. Among them:

WR Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech: Even though the receiver room is crowded, Rivers has 4.35 speed in the 40-yard dash. He burst onto the scene at Florida International with 1,172 yards receiving and 12 TDs before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he added 46 receptions for 658 yards and two TDs.

G Henry Lutovsky, Nebraska: The 6-foot-6, 319-pounder started 28 games for Nebraska. He’s big and strong, having put up 34 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the NFL scouting combine.

T Paul Rubelt, UCF: The 6-foot-10, 313-pound Rubelt is known as Tall Paul with a wingspan of more than 84 inches. The German-born Rubelt started 22 games in the past two years for the Knights.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 4:27 PM.