The New York Giants selected quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. What does the future hold for him with Big Blue?
There is no question that the biggest shock in the first round of the recently completed 2019 NFL Draft was when New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman selected quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick.
Most pundits rated the Duke product as a mid-to-late first-round prospect at best. Gettleman will always be remembered for this selection, good or bad. His legacy as Giants GM depends on how well Jones performs.
There will be a great deal of pressure on Jones because he’ll be expected to be their new franchise signal-caller. You don’t spend an early first rounder on a backup. Veteran Eli Manning is still under contract, making $11.5 million this season, so this will undoubtedly be his final campaign with the G-Men. He can then head to Canton for his eventual enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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The Giants are expected to struggle this upcoming season. If that comes to fruition, look for Jones to start during the second half of the 2019 campaign. It will be his time then. His career passing stats at Duke were rather pedestrian: 52 touchdown tosses and 29 interceptions. Nothing to shout about, that’s for sure.
To be fair though, he did post 17 rushing touchdowns, so he’s an elusive runner when the situation calls for it. Giants head coach Pat Shurmur explained via ESPN.com why he thinks the 6-5, 220-pounder is indeed New York’s future franchise quarterback:
"“I knew by watching him play that he was tough,” Shurmur said. “That’s very high on the spectrum for me, is toughness, and Daniel has that. As we went through it, when you watch guys throw — and there’s some very talented throwers, very talented, very accomplished quarterbacks in this year’s draft. It’s quick that you can fall in love with them at each exposure, but by the end of it, we really felt like he was our guy, and I felt the same as [general manager] Dave [Gettleman].”"
Jones was the MVP of the Senior Bowl earlier this year with 115 passing yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing score as well. That really sold Gettleman that he was making the right choice, albeit an early one, at No. 6 overall.
Based on their 2019 schedule, I expect the Giants to be 3-6 after nine games and that’s when they should hand the reins over to Jones. It will be his team to lead moving forward. Ther will be no turning back at that point. Gettleman got his man. He just better be right.