The New York Giants are entering the 2024 season with uncertainty at the quarterback position. Daniel Jones is recovering from a season-ending ACL tear that seemingly has the team rethinking his future as their franchise quarterback.
Jones’s injury history coupled with his inconsistent play throughout the course of his career has fans and analysts alike losing confidence in his ability to perform at a high level. When ranking the starting quarterbacks in the NFL, it’s hard to confidently put Jones high on the list.
Giants: Daniel Jones ranks No. 28 in PFF’s quarterback rankings
In Pro Football Focus’s rankings of all 32 starting quarterbacks in 2024, writer Trevor Sikkema had Jones ranked No. 29:
“Jones was the third-ranked quarterback in PFF grade on his own team last year — behind Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito,” Sikkema wrote. “Jones played in just six games in 2023 and was basically either elite or one of the worst-graded quarterbacks in a given week, with no in-between.
“He is a good athlete whose rushing production and ability to escape the pocket have always been a big part of his game. But in four of his five years with the Giants, he has finished with more turnover-worthy plays than big-time throws. His average depth of target has also been low over the past three seasons.”
Jones only ranked ahead of the quarterback rooms for the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos. All three of those teams had two quarterbacks listed, as they are all having open competitions for their starting jobs. However, Jones is the lowest-ranked starting quarterback on the list who is not involved in a competition.
Should Jones be higher on the list?
Jones started six games in 2023, going 1-5 and throwing just two touchdown passes with six interceptions. It was a disappointing result for the Giants quarterback after what was believed to be a breakout campaign in 2022. He threw for an impressive 3,205 yards that season with 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions while leading the Giants to their first playoff win in over a decade.
At his best, Jones is an above-average quarterback. But maintaining a consistently high level of play has been a challenge for Danny Dimes throughout his career. Much of what’s went wrong for Jones has been out of his control; bad offensive line play, poor coaching, and a lack of adequate talent in the lineup have been factors that have held Jones back.
But entering 2024, those excuses will no longer be valid. After adding a bunch of talent to the offensive line and receiving corps this offseason, the Giants need Jones to play at a high level to justify his continuation as their starting quarterback.