The New York Giants selection of Daniel Jones was met, generally, with outrage, horror and a chorus of boos from Metlife Stadium during the NFL Draft in 2019.
Through five seasons in East Rutherford, Jones has done little to sway the opinion of skeptical New York fans, compiling just a 22-36-1 record as an NFL starter while achieving a lone playoff appearance. But Giants general manager Joe Schoen continues to defend his franchise's selection even after a particularly disappointing 2023 season, arguing the Duke product is a victim of his surroundings.
"In Miami , we had three practice squad guys playing for us," Schoen said in a trailer of HBO's behind-the-scenes NFL series Hard Knocks. "You could have Patrick Mahomes and he wouldn’t be able to win behind that (offensive line.) I am not giving up on him. He's under contract for three more years."
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With legendary franchise quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning nearing his 40th birthday, the Giants used their No. 6 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft to target a quarterback of the future.
Arizona went a more orthodox route in snagging the first quarterback off the board, drafting Heisman winner Kyler Murray with the No. 1 selection, but former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman opted for Jones, ranked just 37th among FBS quarterbacks in QBR on an 8-5 Blue Devils team.
“In three years, we’ll find out how crazy I am,” Gettleman told Peter King in a now-infamous 2019 interview. "The bottom line is, I have confidence in what I do and who I am. I’ve been a part of organizations that had pretty good quarterbacks — Jim Kelly, John Elway, Kerry Collins, Eli Manning, Cam Newton. I’ve led a charmed life with the quarterbacks on the teams I’ve worked for. I know what good ones look like."
Despite this skepticism, Jones' first start in Big Blue began beautifully, completing 23 of 36 passes for 336 yards and two passing scores as he helped erase an 18-point deficit with a late game-winning rushing touchdown. Jones progressed in both completion percentage and turnover mitigation each of the next two seasons before a breakout 2022 campaign, where he eclipsed 3,200 yards and led New York to its first playoff win in over a decade.
New York rewarded this stellar play with a sizable four-year, $160 million contract extension, but Jones' stark regression was evident from the opening week in 2023, where he managed just 104 passing yards and two interceptions in a 40-0 loss to division rivals Dallas . Along with a paltry ratio of two touchdowns to six interceptions, Jones ranked 34th in EPA per play, 32nd in success rate, and 35th in sack rate among 36 qualifying quarterbacks before a Week 9 ACL tear ended his season.
Jones remains confident in his place under center despite these severe injuries and waning performances, claiming to "have no doubt" about his preparedness to face Minnesota in Week 1.
"Feels good. Felt good out there today," he said at OTAs. "Just getting back in the swing of things and playing football against the defense. ... Thought it was good today. Continue to kind of progress. ... Rehab process has been smooth up to this point, and feels good doing all that kind of stuff."
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