The New York Giants are officially in the market for a quarterback. Both general manager Dave Gettleman and co-owner John Mara have admitted that the team will be looking for a quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft.
This has been speculated for quite some time now. Eli Manning is 38 years old and heading into his 6th season. Statistically, Manning has been solid in recent years. However, no one can play forever.
As head coach Pat Shurmur said, Eli is closer to 40 than he is to 20. The clock has officially begun ticking; the Giants need to find the next franchise quarterback.
Eli Manning will be around in 2019. The Giants already paid him his roster bonus and assured the press that he is the starting quarterback in 2019. However, Dave Gettleman has also floated around the idea of keeping Eli on the team in order to mentor a rookie quarterback. Dave Gettleman calls this the “Kansas City Model.”
What Is The Kansas City Model?
When Dave Gettleman uses the phrase “Kansas City Model,” he is referring to how the Kansas City Chiefs groomed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to success in his second season. The Chiefs had Alex Smith in 2017, who was a solid starting quarterback. Despite this, the Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes with the 10th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs then went on with Alex Smith as the starting quarterback during the 2017 NFL season. In 2018, the Chiefs decided it was time to let “Showtime” Patrick Mahomes take over. They traded away Alex Smith and committed to Patrick Mahomes as the full-time starting quarterback. Mahomes went on to have a historic 2018 season.
https://twitter.com/chief8225/status/1079560060794294272
In 2018, Patrick Mahomes was phenomenal. Mahomes brought the Chiefs to the AFC Championship game and won NFL MVP. Patrick’s stats were insane in 2018. He threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns with only 12 interceptions in his first season as a starter. With production like this, it is easy to see why Dave Gettleman is so fond of the “Kansas City Model.”
Which Quarterbacks Fit The Kansas City Model?
The 2019 NFL Draft has 4 quarterback prospects who could potentially be drafted in the 1st round. The Giants will need to decide if they want to go through with the “Kansas City Model,” then figure out which quarterback prospect is the best fit.
A quarterback who is not fit for the “Kansas City Model” is Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray. Murray is going to start from day one in the NFL. He is a special talent whose only true flaw is his small size.
Despite this, Murray is a talented, dual-threat quarterback who will have an offense completely built around him due to his special running and passing abilities. This is why he will need to start. With Murray, there is no time to waste. The offense will be built around him, so it would be a waste of time to have another quarterback play in Murray’s personalized offense.
Dwayne Haskins is the quarterback most analysts think the Giants will end up with after the 2019 NFL Draft. Haskins had an impressive junior season at Ohio State University. He was extremely efficient, throwing for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns to only 8 interceptions in his only season as a starter.
Make that 3 touchdown throws from @OhioStateFB's Dwayne Haskins! pic.twitter.com/fJt4GEpRh2
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 2, 2018
Since Haskins only played one year as a starter in college, he would benefit from a year of learning in the NFL. Dwayne Haskins has also publicly said he would love the opportunity to learn behind Manning. Haskins grew up a Giants fan and has a lot of respect for the franchise legend, Eli Manning.
Another quarterback who could fit the “Kansas City Model” is Daniel Jones. Daniel played 3 seasons as a starter at Duke. However, he still has a lot of room to grow as a quarterback. Jones has been linked to the recently because of his connection to Eli Manning.
Duke QB Daniel Jones discusses his relationship with Eli Manning and what it would mean to learn from him. pic.twitter.com/7tOKoH2B0T
— New York Giants (@Giants) March 1, 2019
Jones and Manning had the same head coach in college, David Cutcliffe. Jones also knows Manning personally from workouts on Duke’s campus. Daniel Jones is also open to sitting and learning for a year behind Eli.
Daniel Jones threw 22 touchdown passes in 2018 with 9 interceptions and only 2,674 yards. He has the ideal body type for an NFL quarterback and is a smart young man. However, his lack of elite production and accuracy at the collegiate level are the reasons Jones is looked at as a project quarterback. If he is groomed properly, Daniel Jones could be the next Eli Manning.