Daniel Jones Will Save the New York Giants
The Giants selection of Daniel Jones in last month’s draft was met with harsh criticism. But a deeper look at his widely-unseen skill set suggests he might just be the savior in waiting.
When the dust settled, it seemed that Giants general manager Dave Gettleman couldn’t make things any worse in New York. After letting Landon Collins walk in free agency, Gettleman traded away Damon Harrison, Eli Apple, and Olivier Vernon. But it was the mind-boggling Odell Beckham trade that really had Giants fans infuriated. It looked like Giants fans had their worst nightmares play out… but then the NFL Draft came along.
With elite defensive players and strong quarterback prospects on the board, Gettleman selected the “worst” one of them all. He stunned the world by spending the 6th overall pick on Duke quarterback, Daniel Jones. Jones was thought of as a solid prospect but by no means worth a Top 10 pick.
Of course, the backlash from Giants fans has been well documented. But it’s since faded and Daniel Jones is locked in as New York Football Giant. Gettleman has seemingly put all his eggs into the one basket with the 21-year-old signal caller. Just about everyone has publicly criticized the Daniel Jones selection. Based on that, it really looks Gettleman has made yet another blunder with the team. But then again… maybe he didn’t?
Why You Shouldn’t Hate On Dave Gettleman
There are hundreds of reasons why Giants fans should be fed up with their GM. Just about every move Gettleman makes ends with a cry of agony from the extremely faithful New York fans. So after all the head-scratching moves, why would Giants fans have any faith in their GM?
Believe it or not, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it’s so poorly lit. Gettleman does have a vision. He doesn’t want one-dimensional players like Landon Collins or Damon Harrison. Gettleman is trying to build a roster with versatile players like say, Jabrill Peppers. Peppers was a Top 20 safety last year and played snaps all over the field. Even with the signing of Golden Tate, a receiver who can play in the slot or on the outside, it’s clear Gettleman is all about versatility.
But then, of course, there is Daniel Jones. Gettleman has shown he doesn’t care what scouts, fans, anyone thinks. And frankly, that’s how it should be. These general managers aren’t paid millions just to follow what ESPN and the bevy of mock drafts tell them to do. They’re expected to make their own evaluations and rank these prospects how they see fit. That’s exactly what Gettleman has done.
Has he done it correctly? That remains to seen, and if he’s wrong he deserves to be fired. But not just yet. Gettleman’s plan is starting to come to fruition. There’s a reason behind every move he made. Odell was a distraction, Harrison couldn’t rush the passer, Collins got burned in coverage, Vernon didn’t live up to the size of his contract.
In five years, Beckham could be out of the league because of injuries and Peppers could end up being the best safety in the league. Is that a certainty? Of course not, but Gettleman was hired to make these sort of predictions. When it comes down to it, if he thought Daniel Jones was the best quarterback on the board, it’s his duty to draft him where he sees fit.
Well, There Might Be A Reason He Went 6th Overall
Daniel Jones may not have been No. 1 on anyone’s draft board, but a ton of teams gave him a 1st round grade. Despite all the hate he’s getting right now, there’s still a lot to like with Jones. Namely, his 6’5”, 220-pound frame. And just look at those legs.
Jones ran a 4.64 40 time at his Duke pro day, and it certainly shows on the tape. Jones is explosive as a runner. He’s big & fast, Josh Allen-esque. Jones ran out of a bunch of designed runs, but he also showed a knack to pick up yards on the ground when the pocket broke down and he had to scramble.
Though his arm strength has been criticized on many occasions, Jones does possess more than enough power to get the ball 50 yards down the field with precision and accuracy. When given the opportunity, Jones has showed off a very solid arm.
Does Jones have the arm power to blow coaches, players, and fans away? Nope. And he likely never will. But you don’t always need that. Jones shows serious zip on his throws, with excellent ball placement. In what’s been transformed into a passing league, being able to throw the ball on target is more important than the distance.
Daniel Jones Can Be Special
When evaluating Jones, most people see an average quarterback who should have been picked no earlier than the 2nd round. I’m not most people. To me, Jones’s biggest strength is his pocket presence. I think he’s elite in that category. He is constantly bouncing around the pocket, he subtly edges himself to the open area. In what would be considered a bold statement, Jones has Peyton Manning-esque pocket presence. A 6’5” quarterback who’s light on his feet is a rarity, but Jones is exactly that. While most young quarterbacks nowadays lose their composure, Jones has shown he can always remain poised under pressure. Jones doesn’t appear to panic and he tends to always makes the right decision.
Take the above as a perfect example. With no receivers open, Jones continues bouncing around, evading a pass rusher who should have taken him down. Then he continues to extend the play before finally finding his receiver. He then makes a tough off-balance throw, without his feet set.
The element nobody can take away from Daniel Jones is his decision making. The instinctual football IQ and maturity is off the charts for the young man. The Blue Devils gave Jones the freedom to make decisions at the line. Jones often audibled, changing the play call when he saw something he didn’t like. It’s a feat that allowed a very undermanned Duke offense to flourish in actuality.
Another skill that you so rarely see from quarterbacks in college is the ability to read the coverage appropriately to find the open holes in the defense. Jones has this skill and isn’t just another college system quarterback who makes a single read. Instead, Jones is one of the best at going through all of his progressions and finding the open man.
Are The Concerns Legitimate?
Everyone is always looking for that “wow!” factor from quarterbacks and that one trait that puts them in another class. They want things like Patrick Mahomes’ arm and Russell Wilson’s ability to extend plays. But not every successful player has some huge, flashy trait that jumps off the screen. To this day, there’s still not a lot of Mahomes-esque flash Tom Brady's game, but the guy has SIX rings.
People also want to hinge on the detailed statistics and subsequent lack of production in college. Jones threw 29 interceptions at Duke. You know who else threw 29 interceptions in college? The 2018 NFL Most Valuable Player, Patrick Mahomes. College numbers cannot be completely factored into the argument. Duke’s offensive line was atrocious. His receivers dropped 38 passes in 2018 alone. Jones had very little to work with.
This is a perfect display of Jones’ “struggles.” Even with the offensive line breaking down quickly, Jones stays poised in the pocket, waiting till the very last second to launch a perfectly placed deep ball to his wide receiver Chris Taylor. Instead of reeling the ball in, Taylor drops it in very disappointing fashion. While it was a difficult catch to be made, receivers are expected to make this sort of play.
And then he does it again. Once again exuding pressure, Jones steps up in the pocket and heaves another deep ball precisely between the double team, but Taylor can’t make the catch.
It was a common theme the whole season. Duke’s supporting cast was their inevitable downfall. As he did all year, Jones made a lot out of very little. In 11 games, Jones ended up throwing for 2,674 yards, 22 TDs and 9 INTs in the tough ACC. Ultimately, solid numbers considering his situation.
Even with all that, the biggest concern with Daniel Jones is still his arm strength. But people have blown this out of proportion. Jones doesn’t have the quickest release in the world and he can’t throw 70 yards down the field, but he isn’t that far off. I think he still possesses an above average arm. More importantly, Jones can make “NFL-type” throws, with great velocity and accuracy.
How Exactly Does He Fit Into Today’s NFL?
The NFL is trending in a new direction. These new young, innovative play-callers are taking over and designing creative ways to get the ball to their playmakers. A significant portion of that has to do with getting the ball out of their quarterback’s hands quickly and accurately. That plays right into Daniel Jones’ skill set.
Jones will unite with one of the bright offensive minds in Pat Shurmur. This is the same guy who coaxed out a 22 TD, 7 INT season out of Case Keenum in Minnesota. Shurmur’s offenses are centered around high percentage passes, with Yards After (the) Catch potential. Keenum posted a 67.6% completion percentage that season and Sam Bradford threw 71.6% the year before.
It’s not to say Jones will become a conservative, Alex Smith-esque quarterback in New York, but the offensive design should certainly help him. As defenses start playing up to defend the short pass game, ideally, Jones can unleash his underrated deep ball on opponents.
Many of the greats, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, have made a living by carving up the short/intermediate areas of the field. Efficient passes keep the chains moving and the win totals high. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective. And it’s also kept their career longevity intact. All of them have played past 40 years old.
The potential added bonus with Jones is the superior athleticism. In today’s NFL, being a mobile quarterback is almost a prerequisite to play. Jones will surprise everyone on Sundays with his explosive burst, just as Josh Allen did last year.
Heir To The Throne?
The issue with most people is, they’ve never actually seen Daniel Jones play. Narratives can be so easily built when there’s this degree of blindness. “Dwayne Haskins threw 50 touchdowns against BIG 10 competition. He threw 396 yards and 6 TDs against Michigan’s No. 1 defense.” Well, if you actually watched Haskins in that very game, all of his throws were 5–10 yards down the field on simple crossing routes where his speedy receivers swallowed 40, 50, 60 yards after the catch.
Obviously, there’s justification for anything, but when you hear “6 TDs against the best defense in the country,” that’s what your mind immediately goes to. Daniel Jones never had those big-time games, but it doesn’t matter. I said it before and I’ll say it again, college numbers do not tell the whole story.
I’ve even heard one analyst laughably say “Daniel Jones is too reliant on Run/Pass Options (RPOs).” That’s ridiculous! The NFL is in love with RPOs. It takes an excellent decision maker to make that play work to its maximum utility, and it speaks volumes to how smart Jones is. Jones will continue to excel with the RPOs at the next level.
Jones will be entering a very favorable situation in New York. The Giants offensive line was a lot better the second half of the season. And even with the Beckham trade, the Giants still equip Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Golden Tate and the All-World talent of Saquon Barkley. Jones has some of the necessary tools to succeed, so a lack of offensive weapons should not be considered an issue.
Let’s be honest, Giants fans are tired of seeing Eli Manning on Sundays and they’re already fed up with Daniel Jones? It’s time to get off his back and let him play. Jones is going to prove everyone wrong. He’s going to save the New York Giants franchise and he’s going to shatter everyone’s expectations.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
