The New York Giants are doing everything in their power to avoid another rebuild after bringing on general manager Dave Gettleman to change the course of the franchise in 2018. After drafting Saquon Barkley 2nd overall in his first draft class, the Giants proceeded to finish with losing records for the next three seasons.
Big Blue is almost guaranteed to finish with a losing record in 2021 after starting the season 2-5, but there is one positive to harp on as they look to the future, potentially beyond Gettleman and his regime.
That positive is quarterback Daniel Jones, who has had the unfortunate luck to feature behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines for three consecutive seasons and experience devastating injuries with his arsenal of weapons.
The Giants’ offensive line ranks 29th in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency, just one year after ranking dead last in the category. In 2019, Jones’s rookie season, they were 16th, per PFF. However, Jones was still finding his way in the NFL but threw a career-high 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
There is no question that Jones is showing his growth in year three at 24-years-old, but he’s only tossed five touchdowns this season. With 1,727 yards passing under his belt, Jones does feature his best completion percentage at 63.5%. His fumbles have been reduced significantly, and his movement in the pocket has progressed nicely. The limitations of Jason Garrett’s red-zone offense have held him back to a degree.
Ultimately, the Giants desperately need Jones to be their future quarterback, as hitting the restart button once again would put the team back years, potentially. With two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft, the Giants have an opportunity to target a pass rusher and offensive lineman, bolstering two portions of the team that desperately need reassurance. If they have to package those selections for a quarterback, the Giants will have a hard time filling needs on the roster with minimal cap space after spending big this past off-season.
It is realistic to think the Giants will end up with two top 10 selections as the Bears have an incredibly difficult schedule the rest of the way. If they struggle, the Giants could walk away with one of the draft’s best pass rushers and offensive tackles, gifting Daniel Jones with a more refined offensive line.
That is why the team needs the Duke product to pan out and prove he’s capable of being the long-term solution, which he showed against the Carolina Panthers behind an abomination of an offensive front and virtually all of his top targets out due to injury.