New York Giants: The top 3 attributes we’ve seen from Daniel Jones so far

New York Giants, Daniel Jones
Aug 16, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws a pass during warm up before NFL game against the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

In three preseason games for the New York Giants, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has an 83.3 completion percentage. He also has 369 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has turned the ball over twice due to fumbles but has a quarterback rating of 140.

This attests to the quality he has provided on the field so far. The Giants must be happy with what they’ve seen from the rookie passer, as most didn’t expect him to come out firing during the preseason. Is important to remember that defenses aren’t executing legitimate game plans and are more or less testing the waters with specific players.

Jones has managed to thread the needle consistently over majority backups, but his success is still exciting and impressive.

Here are the top 3 attributes we’ve seen from New York Giants rookie Daniel Jones:

1.) Toughness

The one thing that Eli Manning has shown over the years is that he is capable of taking a hit and getting right back up. Jones displayed that ability to a “T” against the Cincinnati Bengals when Carl Lawson and Sam Hubbard sandwiched him. Jones popped right back up to throw a beautiful pass to fellow rookie, Darius Slayton.

His resiliency and ability to overcome adversity was on full display here — right after having his brains rattled he bounced back and gave his receiver a chance to make a play. Slayton fell backward just 2-yards short of the Endzone, but given he knew how close he was, he might’ve been able to secure the touchdown. Having the toughness to take a hit and still bounce back and perform well is something most quarterbacks struggle with. Daniel seems to have the mentality and grit to overcome relevant challenges.

2. Precision

As stated above, Jones has an 83.3 completion percentage over 30 attempts. While this sample size is small, his decision making and movement through progressions seem to be flawless. The more exciting part of his passing ability is is that he isn’t afraid to take risks. Averaging 12.3 yards per completion, he has shown that he can swing the ball downfield with zip and precision.

While at Duke, Jones seems cautious when throwing the ball downfield due to the lack of quality at the wide receiver position. Having trustworthy pass catchers will help him reach his potential and extract the best version of himself on game day.

3. Footwork

One of the more technical advantaged Jones has is his footwork. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger pointed out how Jones was able to lock the free safety in place on and hit Slayton along the sidelines.

His mental toughness and ability to stick to his fundamentals are extremely impressive in regards to Jones. The ability to shift his body and utilize his feet to distract opposing the defenders will help him develop into a quality quarterback. He’s already showing signs of real talent which should provide optimism for the future.