Daniel Jones certainly shocked a lot of people last year when he was selected 6th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
Many piled onto Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman, calling it a horrible pick.
Jones however quickly changed the tune of many of those haters as he posted a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio in conjunction with over 3,000 passing yards over 12 starts. This type of production gives many fans of Big Blue hope that this is their franchise guy.
With all that said, Jones was not perfect. He struggled with common rookie mistakes. Some of his interceptions weren’t pretty, his pocket awareness lacked at times, and his 18 fumbles were a major red flag.
As the Giants look to bounce back from an abysmal 4-12 season, Jones is fighting to keep his job due to three contributing factors.
1) A Tough Schedule
The Giants have a deceptively tough schedule. They see the Eagles, Cowboys, and Redskins twice. Along with battling the NFC West and AFC North. Meaning they have to go against the 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals, Bengals, Steelers, Browns, and Ravens.
The other two games come against the Buccaneers and Bears. There really aren’t any easy games in there. If this tough schedule has the Giants picking at the top of the 2020 draft, some elite quarterback prospects will be available.
2) Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance
It seems like every year there’s a couple quarterbacks that come out of college that look great; this year is no different. The trio of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance is sure to draw a lot of attention from fans and GMs alike.
Lawrence appears to be the headliner for this group and will probably remain there whether there is a college football season or not. Fields and Lance both have arguments over each other, but nevertheless, both are great prospects.
If the Giants do finish the season with a record landing them in the draft’s top five for the second year in a row, will some fans call for a quarterback change? Moreover, struggling this season could lead to the front office making a GM change.
3) A New GM
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has been highly criticized during the majority of his stint with the G-Men. Gettleman became GM in 2018 and the Giants have struggled to find success on the field since (albeit success was lacking before his arrival as well). Many called for his job at the end of this season, but it appears he has retained his position for the time being. However, if the Giants struggle this year, Mara and Tisch may look to move on.
In the NFL, when a GM change happens, a QB change could be imminent because the new GM wants to have one of their picks at a position like quarterback. Jones is a Gettleman pick. If the coach/general manager combo that selected Jones is no longer part of the team, the new GM along with coach Joe Judge could look to add someone new through the draft.
What This Means
This piece was not written to call for Jones’ job or to say that I don’t believe in him. The point of this article is to show the importance of this season for not only the team but also for Jones.
I do believe that Jones has franchise quarterback potential, and I want him to be QB1 for years to come; but If Danny Dimes wants to stay in New York, he must prove this year that he has what it takes.
Featured Image: Steven Ryan/Getty Images
