From the moment general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll took control of the New York Giants, comparisons began to arise.
After what Daboll had done for Josh Allen in Buffalo, would Daniel Jones be the next to take that leap in development? Was he the next Josh Allen?
Buy Giants TicketsAs it turns out, however, those questions were being asked long before Schoen and Daboll joined the Giants. Up in Buffalo, players on the Bills already saw Jones as a Josh Allen lite. Or a “baby Josh Allen,” if you will.
“It’s funny because a lot of the players used to call Daniel Jones ‘Baby Josh Allen’ when we were over there,” Hodgins said while appearing on WFAN’s Tiki & Tierney.
“That was kind of like the joke … when it was my rookie year, (the Bills) were like ‘Hey, you know who’s gonna be Josh in a couple of years?'”
The similarities, even for those who have an irrational disdain for Jones, are obvious. Their size, strength, speed, and style are all very much the same. And in the first year under Daboll, Jones had a very Allen-like season in many ways.
“I definitely see it,” Hodgins said. “The way he can use his legs, which you saw more as the season went on, and how comfortable he was throwing on the run. That opens up the whole offense and makes the defense prepare for a whole different element. Combine that with his arm and his decision-making and prep, he’s got a lot of success coming his way.”
The Giants hope they can get Jones under contract and that he does, in fact, evolve into the next Josh Allen.