Giants OK with starting season with Daniel Jones as QB?
New York Giants GM Joe Schoen looks on during practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in East Rutherford. Credit: Corey Sipkin
At his pre-draft news conference on Thursday, Giants general manager Joe Schoen left the impression that he would be more than OK with Daniel Jones as the team's starting quarterback in 2024.
Schoen said Jones is “on track” to be ready for training camp.
The Giants have scouted every viable quarterback in this draft, of course. Perhaps they’ve come to the conclusion that a big-time receiver would help the offense this season at least as much as a rookie quarterback would. Maybe they believe they won’t get the quarterback of their choice while waiting to draft sixth overall. Or maybe it’s all a smoke screen.
We’ll know when the NFL Draft commences on April 25.
On Thursday afternoon, Schoen was bullish while talking about Jones.
When asked if he still needs to add another quarterback, Schoen said, “I don’t think so.”
He noted backup Drew Lock’s experience and “what Tommy [DeVito] did last year, another year in the system. Tommy’s come a long way. I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and be comfortable with that.”
The top quarterbacks in the draft are USC’s Caleb Williams, who the Bears are likelyto draft with the No. 1 pick, followed by 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
Lately, it has been McCarthy, who quarterbacked the Wolverines to a national title this past season, who has been most closely tied to the Giants by pundits. Schoen understands why.
“I think it’s a good quarterback class, and I think it’s deep,” Schoen said. “You look at some of the guys and the number of games some of these guys have started and played, it’s impressive. Really haven’t seen a class like that with some of the quarterbacks that have started and played as many games as they have at a high level.
“It’s been really fun getting to know these guys. Again, it’s a unique position. There’s only so many people walking planet Earth that can play that position at a high level. So really getting around these guys, we like to do it every year, and getting to know them, I think is important.”
After the Giants made a surprise run to the playoffs two seasons ago, including a road win in the wild-card round, the Giants signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract. But it's essentially a two-year extension (with $81M guaranteed at signing). After the Combine in February, NFL Network host Rich Eisen said on his radio show that he had heard the Giants had “buyer’s remorse” over the deal.
Schoen said Thursday that was untrue.
The Giants have a need at wide receiver and this is a strong receiver draft.
“I do think it’s a deep receiver draft,” Schoen said. “They come in different shapes and sizes and speeds, but I do think it's a deep wide receiver draft from top to bottom, depending on what you’re looking for.”
If the Giants draft a receiver, they could have their pick among Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU's Malik Nabers and Washington's Rome Odunze. All three are considered instant game-changers at the position.
Surely, Jones would take all the help he can get. After all, it was Jones who was asked Monday if he is still the best quarterback for the Giants.
Jones’ smiling reply: “Yes, I am.”
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
