New York Giants: Does Daniel Jones Have A “Super, Super Strong Arm?”

Golden Tate, the newly signed receiver of the New York Giants recently had some strong praise for Daniel Jones, the Giants’ new soon-to-be franchise quarterback. Golden Tate praised Daniel Jones for having a “super, super strong arm.”

The Giants drafted Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. This was a move that was met with a ton of controversy. Many analysts have been highly critical of both the Giants and Daniel Jones.

A knock on the Giants is that they reached on Jones and took him too high. Many predicted him to be available with the 17th pick.

One specific criticism that analysts have had on Daniel Jones has regarded his arm strength. Many analysts claim Jones has a “weak” or “average” arm. Golden Tate disputes this claim. Let’s get to the bottom of it.

Argument For The Strong Arm:

At the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, Daniel Jones seemed to show off above-average arm strength. This was demonstrated in his ball velocity numbers.

Daniel Jones was recorded throwing the ball with a velocity of 53 miles per hour to the left, and 54 miles per hour to the right. This number was surprising to many of the naysayers since 54 miles per hour was the same as “strong-arm” quarterbacks Tyree Jackson and Drew Lock.

Jones’s velocity number of 54 miles per hour was also comparable to Patrick Mahomes’s 55 miles per hour. Patrick Mahomes won MVP in 2018 behind his strong arm that is capable of throwing over 90 yards.

If Daniel Jones does have an arm comparable to Patrick Mahomes, he will be a star. However, there are some statistics that indicate Jones might not have the strong-arm the velocity numbers imply.

Arguments Against The Strong Arm:

According to the New York Post, almost all analysts were in agreement about one thing with Daniel Jones: “he does not have a superior arm.” Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com was noted saying that Daniel Jones “lacks elite arm strength.”

“I like the guy but I’m not sure how dynamic his arm is,’’ said an NFL talent observer specializing in quarterbacks. “I’m not sure what type of arm talent he has. He doesn’t have a great arm, doesn’t have an elite arm.’’ – New York Post

The Draft Network is a credible and reputable website of draft scouts and football talent evaluators. According to The Draft Network, “Jones simply does not have ideal arm strength to reach far downfield, despite the mustard he can put on his short throws.” This quote would actually support the velocity numbers discussed earlier in this article.

The velocity numbers are indicative of Jones’s strong arm throwing the ball in the short to intermediate range. However, they do not indicate an ability to keep the velocity as the distance of the throws increase.

Many also point to Jones’s film to make the case against his arm strength. There are a few plays that fans and analysts point out to demonstrate a lack of arm strength from the Giants’ new quarterback.

Plays like the one presented above are concerning. Daniel Jones will need to be more consistent with his deep ball velocity. He is consistent enough in the short to the intermediate range to be successful in the NFL. However, his deep passes could use some work.

One encouraging note for Giants fans regarding Daniel Jones’s arm strength: it can (and probably will) improve. Neither Peyton Manning or Tom Brady were considered to have cannon arms coming out of college. However, both quarterbacks improved their arm strengths drastically once they reached the NFL.