When the New York Giants were linked to quarterback Daniel Jones in the 2019 NFL Draft, most knocked his arm strength, stating that he wouldn’t be able to make the necessary throws in MetLife in September.
So far, Jones has done nothing but impress his new teammates, and even the veterans have advocated for his talented arm and what he can do on the football field. The Giants recently signed wide receiver Golden Tate to supplement the loss of Odell Beckham Jr., and while he won’t replicate his production, he offers a solid set of hands for Eli Manning to utilize.
Tate is the quintessential possession receiver, hauling in 65.5% of passes thrown his way in 2018 and 76.7% in 2017. He has some of the best hands in the league and will offer a safety net on third down and a consistent threat throughout drives.
The new pass-catcher shot down any concerns over Jones’ arm-strength, stating:
“He’s doing a good job,â€Â Tate said of Jones. “If you just look at talent-wise, the guy has a super, super strong arm. He can move around a little bit. But with quarterbacks you just never know because it’s such a mental game.â€
“The good news with Dan’s situation is he is sitting right behind a Hall of Fame-type quarterback, so he is going to have an opportunity to learn some incredible tools that can help him in the future. I hope it’s kind of like that Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers situation eventually.â€
How the New York Giants will help Daniel Jones grow:
Jones learning behind Manning should assist in his development tremendously. The benefits of learning from the two-time winning Super Bowl quarterback should help Daniel grow in regards to his preparations and reading progressions.
The Duke product was very decisive in college, making the right decisions frequently, but he often took the safer route due to the lack of talent at the receiver position. With better quality pass-catchers around him, Jones should see his confidence heightened over the course of the 2019 season.