Barring something unforeseen, the New York Giants are choosing to ride with Daniel Jones in 2022. They signed veteran Tyrod Taylor this week, assumingly to back Jones up.
But there are many who have seen enough of Jones and want to move on. There is also the camp that believes Jones hasn’t been given a fair shot to succeed here and want to give him that shot this year.
So, what do outsiders think of the situation? Tom Rudawsky, a former NFL scout who has worked for the Miami Dolphins and the Giants, who now writes for The 33rd Team blog among other publications had this to say about Jones.
When you put the tape on, it’s easy to see why so many remain steadfast on the 24-year old. Jones has the prototypical QB frame at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and possesses top-tier mechanics. At Duke, he was coached by the man who helped groom Peyton and Eli Manning in college — David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe is highly respected in league circles due to his work with quarterbacks, something that also attracted the Giants to Jones in 2019. Jones has textbook lower body mechanics and footwork, a trait that often leads to very good accuracy to all three levels. He’s got good arm strength — he can drive it into tight windows and deliver it on time across-field. He’s proven to be a very effective deep ball thrower as well. Per NextGenStats, he was the best deep ball thrower (passes 20 yards or more) in the NFL in 2020.
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From a scouting standpoint, he still has issues seeing the field at times, forcing the ball into inopportune situations and struggling to hold onto the ball in the pocket when hit. The decision-making makes you scratch your head at times, as he tries to do too much too often. While there are many factors that contribute to the losing (and to some of his turnovers, for that matter), make no mistake about it: Jones rightfully deserves to be held accountable for the 12-25 record and his 49 turnovers. It’s an ugly part of his résumé as a pro, and if he wants to be viewed as a foundational player and mainstay starter, he must show he can escape both labels.
Rudawsky says Jones is going have to sing for his supper — something that should have happened last year — and there may not be any clear closure to the debate on whether he is the long term answer.
Entering the 2021 season, many labeled Jones as one of the players in the NFL with the most pressure on him. I’d argue there’s far greater pressure on the even-keeled 24-year-old entering 2022. As complicated as his situation has been over his first three years, the path that lies ahead really is quite simple: Either he plays his way into a massive contract extension as a starting NFL quarterback, or he leaves more room for doubt and remains a player that teams don’t want to commit to. Regardless of how it plays out, Jones will continue to have doubters, just as he always has since the day the Giants drafted him and that “full bloom love” turned to reality.
With a revamped offensive line, Brian Daboll at head coach and Mike Kafka running the offense, Jones will finally have a level playing field to operate with.
