Jalon Daniels Rushing Yards Pick for Buccaneers vs. Cowboys

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Jalon Daniels rushing yards pick vs. Cowboys

Jalon Daniels didn’t get the result he was looking for six months ago when he went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. Still just 23 years old, Daniels played six seasons of college football at Kansas, and the Buccaneers gave him a training camp shot. The rookie impressed Tampa enough not only to make the roster, but win the backup quarterback job.

Just three weeks into the season, fresh off signing a big contract extension, Baker Mayfield got injured. The Bucs handed the keys over to the rookie to make his first NFL start last Sunday at home against the Packers. While Tampa fell to 0-4, Daniels played a solid game, but made mistakes as a passer.

What Daniels did do well is use his legs, which has been a staple throughout his lengthy career with the Jayhawks. He ran for over 400 yards in each of his final three seasons that he was healthy at Kansas, and we saw him resort to that in his NFL debut. Daniels carried the ball eight times against Green Bay, picking up 55 yards on the ground.

That plays right into a weakness of the Cowboys. Dallas is off a win over the Texans, and C.J. Stroud was really the first quarterback that this defense had seen that wasn’t a threat with his legs. Stroud wound up rushing twice for 12 yards. Prior to that, the Cowboys had given up 50 or more rushing yards to every QB they faced.

Jaxson Dart rushed 11 times for 54 yards in Week 1 in his only healthy game before injury. Jayden Daniels picked up 69 rushing yards on just seven carries in Week 2 against Dallas, and did all of his damage before getting injured late in the first half. Then Lamar Jackson rushed just six times for 50 yards in Week 3 in Brazil.

A rookie QB making his first career road start sets up a strong spot for Jalon Daniels to exploit this matchup. When he doesn’t trust his arm, he will trust his legs. Not only is the matchup in place for Daniels to scramble, but game script sets up nicely as well, with Dallas priced a favorite north of a touchdown. If the Bucs are playing from behind, it should open up even more opportunities for Daniels to take off.

NFL Pick: Jalon Daniels OVER 45.5 Rushing Yards (-110)

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