The New York Giants drafted Daniel Jones in the 1st round (6th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft.
He finished his second year in the NFL dealing with several injuries including a strained right hamstring and a sprained left ankle.
The NFL seems to be moving away from mentoring young quarterbacks and giving them an opportunity to grow and morphing into a quarterback carousel of sorts shipping them off to other teams at enormous costs.
With that in mind, should the New York Giants consider the Daniel Jones experiment a bust and move on from him?
The answer is no, and here are three reasons why.
1. Performance
Daniel Jones 3rd Down v. Washington
5/6 54 yards 1 TD
2 carries 17 yards
1 sackAverage distance: 3rd & 6.2
Successful average: 3rd & 5.2
Unsuccessful average 3rd & 8.3
6/9 conversions 67% pic.twitter.com/mLkcUUYSCe— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) February 16, 2021
He has not played badly.
His career win and loss record of 8-18 is not good but also does not tell the whole story.
He has thrown for 5,940 yards in two seasons with 35 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
Yes, that is a lot of interceptions, but Jones has effectively been carrying this team on his inexperienced shoulders the majority of the time.
He needs help.
Coach Joe Judge seems to be the right man for the job.
Draft picks or free agent signings should happen.
He needs a big name receiver that garners double and triple protection.
Should I say it?
The Giants need an heir apparent to Odell Beckam Jr.
Like it or not, they have not filled his position with anyone near his skill set.
Jones needs someone like that ASAP.
A little offensive line help would not hurt either.
I think the greater point I'm trying to land: The #Giants OLine was one of the NFL's worst in pass pro in 2020. Ranked dead last by PFF. Daniel Jones was pressured more (40.3%) than all QBs but Sam Darnold. So why is there not more focus on improving this unit? It means so much.
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) February 16, 2021
He is often running for his life which explains the injuries.
Jones has been sacked 83 times in 26 games.
2. Saquon Barkley Factor
There is no doubt that Barkley is a great running back.
His ACL injury early in the 2020 season was devastating to the Giants offense and particularly to Daniel Jones.
With a healthy Barkley back on the field, Jones’ performance will definitely improve.
3. NFC East Landscape
I know teams do not want to sink to the level of their competition.
But let’s face facts.
The Giants finished in second place in the NFC East with a record of 6-10.
This is not a competitive division right now, and every single team has a huge question mark at the quarterback spot.
Jones is among the youngest and has the most upside of the crew that right now may include Dak Prescott though he is not under contract, rookie Jalen Hurts who is now in the limelight even more with Carson Wentz gone, and Alex Smith who is a walking miracle, but how long can he conceivably continue to play.
This may not be the best reason to keep Jones, but it just adds to the other reasons why the Giants need to keep Daniel Jones in 2021.
Joe Judge’s Take
If Coach Joe Judge has his way, the Giants will keep Jones.
Judge’s recent comments showed his confidence in Jones.
“There hit a point in the year where you could see there were different traits that he had that the team really responded to and his level of play was raised. Look, there were a lot of things you could argue in terms of statistical output, this and that, but I’m telling you, when you watch the guy and how he handles the huddle, when you watch how he has command of the offense, when you watch how he adjusts with game plans, when you see the level of toughness he plays with, when you watch him prepare away from the field better than anybody else on a daily basis – and that’s saying a lot because our guys empty the tank every day – there’s a lot of things you look at him and say, hey, this guy gives us confidence going forward with him because we know he’s going to be prepared. We know he’s going to compete, and we’ve seen improvement from him.”
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