The New York Giants don’t have to ask Daniel Jones to do the developmental work; he’s been doing it all on his own. The proactive quarterback is entering his second year in the NFL with high expectations. After his rookie season, where he posted 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, the sky is the limit.
Despite having one of the worst offensive lines in the league and consistently dealing with injuries among his playmakers, Jones managed to put together a motivating season that should improve in year two.
However, there are plenty of deficiencies he needs to work on and refine before he can be considered a top passer in the NFL.
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Here are our expectations for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in 2020:
Of course, Jones needs to protect the football better. In 2019, his fumble rate was lackluster. He fumbled 18 times and lost 11 of them in 12 starts. That equates to 1.5 fumbles per game. Ball security and pocket awareness are two traits that he struggled with last season, but he has put on 9 pounds of mass to protect the football better and hunker down in the pocket.
Now, it is fair to mention that his offensive line didn’t give him much help. Nate Solder allowed 11 sacks and was essentially a turn-style at left tackle. He put Jones in tumultuous positions frequently and hurt his development.
A large portion of his fumbles can be attributed to a lack of time in the pocket. We did see a positive attribute from Jones when it comes to extending plays. While former head coach Pat Shurmur tried to keep Jones from utilizing his feet to move the chains, he still ran for 279 yards and two touchdowns. If the Giants can find more ways for him to utilize his legs and not take big hits, he can be a force with increased RPOs and play-action.
With new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett taking over playcalling duties, I estimate that Jones will be handing off the ball a lot more to Saquon Barkley. With the expectation that the O-line will improve, the play-action should be a focal point for Jones, creating unpredictability. He should also have a fully healthy group of players to work with, something he didn’t have in 2019.
I believe with Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, Evan Engram, and Saquon Barkley all available, Jones should see exponential growth in year two. He is putting in the off-season work to grow and prepare, which is precisely what you want out of your franchise quarterback.
STAT PROJECTION:
4,288 yards
30 TDs
10 INTs
63.5 completion %