New York Giants 2019 NFL Draft Profile: Daniel Jones, QB

Is this the year that the New York Giants draft their future franchise quarterback? If so, they need to consider Duke’s Daniel Jones.

It’s going to be an interesting 2019 NFL Draft for the New York Giants. Does Big Blue select their franchise quarterback of the future? If they want a very good prospect, they are going to have to commit early, which means using one of their two first-round selections.

General manager Dave Gettleman owns the sixth and 17th overall picks. Will he commit to a signal-caller early on go all in on the defensive side of the ball in the initial round? If he chooses the former, one player to keep in mind is quarterback Daniel Jones.

The Duke University product was a three-year starter for the Blue Devils. Jones has excellent height for a starting quarterback (6-5, 220 pounds). He threw for 22 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 11 games last season and completed 60.5 percent of his tosses. That percentage would be much higher if his receivers did not drop 36 — yes, 36 — of his attempts. Ouch.

Let’s take a look at some of Daniel Jones’ highlights:

Big Blue is not used to having a scrambling signal-caller (e.g. Eli Manning, Kurt Warner, Phil Simms) but if they select Jones they will get one. Jones rushed for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns in his three seasons in Durham. The Charlotte, NC native is not such a runner though. He is a very effective pocket passer as well.

While he might not possess the cannon-like arm of Patrick Mahomes (very few do), Jones is very effective on long and intermediate passes. His mechanics are top-quality and he’s known for being a very intelligent player. Jones works through his progressions effectively, has fine touch and can make the key NFL-like throw into tight windows. You can’t be a franchise quarterback otherwise.

Like any prospect, Jones is not a perfect player. He had 12 passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage last year, so he has to become more proficient at finding proper throwing lanes. As the video shows, his release speed is average at best due to a short windup.

Sometimes it’s better to just take a sack and Jones can be a riverboat gambler at times, much like Brett Favre, by forcing some passes. He also takes on tacklers head on at times when sliding or running out-of-bounds would be the smarter play. You stay healthier that way.

Quarterbacks are all a little over-valued in every draft. This year’s extravaganza will be no exception. If the Giants want Jones, they will need to spend that 17th overall pick on him. Gettleman may even need to trade up to get him. Jones stills needs some development but he has the potential to be a NFL franchise quarterback. Does Gettleman like him enough to become Manning’s successor though? Stay tuned.