ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- As Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane sat in the team's draft room Saturday, he was surprised to see quarterback Tyree Jackson among the names remaining on the board as the seventh round progressed.

The Bills were not considered part of the quarterback market this offseason after selecting Josh Allen at No. 7 overall last year, as well as extending the contracts of backups Matt Barkley and Derek Anderson. But after Jackson unexpectedly went undrafted Saturday, Beane pounced by giving the University at Buffalo prospect $75,000 guaranteed to remain in town and sign with the Bills.

"I think he's still an ascending player," Beane said.

In March, Beane attended Jackson's pro day in the Bills' practice facility and spent several minutes afterward chatting with Jackson's private coach, Jordan Palmer. That conversation helped Beane feel comfortable about Palmer's progress in improving Jackson's mechanics and helping the 6-foot-7 passer overcome the complications of his lanky frame.

Palmer's work with Jackson was detailed in the eight-part series "Draft Academy," available on ESPN+.

"When I got together with him, that was the first time that he had ever been on the field with a private quarterback coach," Palmer said in the documentary.

From Jackson's watching online videos as a child of Tom Brady's throwing motion to Palmer's teaching him the nuances of his footwork at Palmer's camp in California, "Draft Academy" follows Jackson's journey from Muskegon, Michigan to what will now be his first NFL contract with the Bills.