The New York Giants refrained from taking a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, returning their focus to Daniel Jones as their starter under center. However, recent reports suggest that his backup, Drew Lock, has a chance to claim the starting nod ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Drew Lock could have a chance to compete for the QB1 job
NFL Network’s “Path to the Draft” panel revealed on Monday that Lock stands a chance at unseating Jones as QB1 after training camp (h/t CBS Sports’ Shanna McCarriston):
Recent reports give credence to Seahawks GM’s stance on Drew Lock’s shot at earning Giants starting QB
This touched on comments from Seattle Seahawks general manager Joe Schneider, who unveiled earlier this spring that Lock moved to the Giants in large part due to having that shot presented to him by New York’s front office, per reports from McCarriston’s CBS Sports’ colleague Cody Benjamin:
“After Lock signed his new deal, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said his former quarterback left because the Giants “basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter.” Schneider believes Lock may look at the opportunity similar to the one Baker Mayfield got when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023,” McCarrison referenced.
What Daniel Jones brought to the table in 2023 for the Giants
Jones struggled in his 2023 campaign. Before his season-ending torn ACL in Week 9, Jones went 1-5 in six starts with 909 passing yards, a 2-6 TD-INT ratio, and a career-low 37.4 percent success percentage.
The offensive line, which finished the season leading the league with 85 sacks conceded, allowed Jones to get sacked a whopping 30 times. Yet, the Duke product looked far from the quarterback that led them to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth in 2022. This caused the Giants to flip-flop on their stance regarding Jones and heavily scout several of the top-shelf QBs in this year’s draft class including UNC’s Drake Maye and USC’s Caleb Williams.
Does Lock have a strong case for the starting nod based on his 2023 outing & career resume?
In comes Lock, who amassed 543 passing yards and a 3.9 percent touchdown percentage in four games played behind Seahawks starter Geno Smith last year. Lock didn’t get many opportunities in 2023. However, from the sample size available dating back to his lone starting season with the Denver Broncos in 2020, the 27-year-old completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,933 passing yards and a 16-15 TD-INT ratio.
His numbers don’t pop out overall, but he remains a solid backup option. He’ll have to compete with Tommy DeVito, who had a standout run midway through the 2023 campaign, behind Jones in the depth chart.
Albeit, the Giants see something in Lock that could materialize in training camp. The door is open for him to contend for the starting gig. Ultimately, Jones’s play will determine whether or not that opportunity opens up or not.