The New York Giants took a calculated risk with quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6 in the 2019 NFL Draft, as his statistics don’t scream elite. However, there’s more to his story.
The Duke product was held back in a sense by the talent surrounding him – his receivers dropped 33 passes in 2018. Jones only managed to rack up 2,674 passing yards and 22 touchdowns.
New York Giants: Daniel Jones shows his leadership
In his first day of rookie camp with his new team, teammate Darius Slayton continued the trend, dropping several passes that Jones dropped into his breadbasket. When asked about it, the young signal caller blamed himself, stating: “Yea, we talked about some things, but a lot of it was my fault.â€
A very Eli Manning-esque response – taking the blame and not throwing his receiver under the bus despite his pinpoint accuracy.
How did drops in college affect Daniel Jones’ numbers?
Jones finished 2018 with a 60.5 completion percentage, but if you factor in the dropped passes, it skyrockets. If you add the 33 drops to his completions (237 –> 270) his % increases to 68.9%. That’s a number worth writing down. While drops are a part of the game and fair to factor in, NFL receivers won’t pose that type of issue for him, at least not to that extreme.
Jones is solid throwing the deep ball:
As per PFF, Daniel completed passes over 20+ yards at 71.4%, which was the top percentage in college football last year. It’s important to mention that the rookie quarterback doesn’t have elite arm strength, but he does have above-average touch on the ball. He won’t zip a ball 40 yards for completion, but he will drop it into the intended spot with a lofty pass.
That’s a primary difference between Jones and Eli Manning, who many seem to be comparing. Eli entered the NFL with above-average arm talent, a factor that Jones lacks in. However, his athleticism benefits his overall game and will give him an edge over Manning when it comes to picking up yards with his legs and extending drives on third-down.