Just because the Giants handed out a one-year, fully guaranteed $5 million deal to Drew Lock doesn’t mean he should be the cemented backup quarterback. Lock does have a bit of experience in the NFL, which includes 786 passing attempts, 5,283 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. He hasn’t been a starter since 2020, but Lock has been a primary backup for Denver and Seattle before joining the Giants this off-season.
Evaluating Giants’ Backup QB Options
However, the Giants saw plenty of upside from former undrafted free agent out of Illinois, Tommy DeVito. The 26-year-old is in his sophomore season, coming off a year where he threw for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions with a 64% completion rate.
DeVito’s Performance and Potential
Those numbers don’t look too bad for an undrafted player in his rookie season. In fact, he’s earned the opportunity to be the No. 2 quarterback, and he showed some potential in Week 1 of the preseason against the Detroit Lions. DeVito threw for 92 yards, but the Giants struggled as a team to get the ball to their receivers. The offensive line was a bit spotty in pass protection early on, resulting in them leaning heavily on the run game, which produced 155 yards.
Ultimately, DeVito is an extremely cheap player who has the potential to be a long-term No. 2, whether it be behind Daniel Jones or another quarterback in the future.
DeVito’s Growth and Outlook
He’s already shaken off the nerves of featuring in an NFL game, and now it’s about compounding good performances. “Last year was a little bit of nerves. First NFL game, so there was a lot of excitement that went into it,” DeVito said, via Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com. “But now I kind of get the gist of it, played in some actual games that are a little different than preseason. But treat every game like it’s the Super Bowl. So, you go out there and try to play everything and put your best foot forward.”
Competition Between Lock and DeVito
Lock’s contract certainly indicates that the Giants will give him a chance to return from a recent injury and win the job, but if DeVito excels against the Texans and in the final preseason game against the Jets, head coach Brian Daboll shouldn’t back away from making the best possible decision for the team. In the end, DeVito won several games last season for the Giants, including against the Green Bay Packers in a major upset.
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Conclusion: DeVito’s Future Contributions
DeVito is a confident young player who has shown aggressiveness and solid arm talent, but he needs to get rid of the ball faster at times, and that will ultimately come with experience.