Will Daniel Jones Succeed as A Giant?

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Coming into his fourth season in the NFL, New York Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones was under scrutiny. The franchise invested the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft in the signal caller from Duke University and was handpicked to replace New York legend, Eli Manning. Jones and running back Saquon Barkley were going to usher in a new era of Giants football.

However, it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Instead of vying for the playoffs and challenging for the NFC East title, the Giants have struggled to find an identity. NFL odds for New York have been likening the playoffs to their chances of finishing with another top-five selection.

With that being said, it has certainly been a roller coaster tenure for Jones in New York, and there are reasons to believe that his play will either improve or remain as inconsistent as it has always been.

Coaching Leadership

In four seasons, Jones has had three different head coaches with the Giants. The first was the embattled Ben McAdoo, who did not seem up to the task of leading a professional sports team. New York then hired Joe Judge away from the New England Patriots, who seemed to give the Giants a little bit of an edge initially.

Judge wanted to build a team with a physical identity, which would focus on the improved play at the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense. The plan sort of worked for a season, but then fell apart, and he was fired after the 2021 campaign.

New York hired former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to lead the franchise ahead of the 2022 season, which was an intriguing move as it relates to Jones. Daboll had success developing star quarterback Josh Allen in Buffalo, who has turned into one of the premier players at his position. In theory, Daboll would be able to mold Jones, who has some similarities in his game to Allen.

If Daniel Jones is going to succeed as a Giant, it will likely be because Daboll utilizes his athletic ability on rollouts and bootlegs to keep defenses guessing.

Offensive Talent

Throughout the course of Jones’ tenure with the Giants, the front office has made concerted efforts to try and surround the quarterback with talented playmakers. Of course, the most significant weapon Jones was supposed to have been Barkley in the backfield. The running back tore his ACL in the 2020 season and did not quite look like himself in 2021.

Barkley has looked healthy so far in the 2022 campaign, which has helped New York establish a running game. However, a lot of their other moves, despite being well-intentioned, have not worked out.

The Giants have brought in the likes of Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph, and Ricky Seals-Jones via free agency in the last couple of offseasons. The latter two players are no longer on the team, and Golladay’s production has been extremely disappointing thus far.

New York has also tried to add pass-catching talent via the draft, such as Kadarius Toney last year and Wan’Dale Robinson this year. Both players were supposed to help stretch the defense as shifty, speedy perimeter threats, but each of them has not been able to stay on the field.

With a rotating cast of characters around him, it has been difficult for Jones to establish a rapport with any of his teammates in the backfield or out wide. One of them will need to step up to help Jones succeed in New York.

Injury Concerns

From the moment that he took over as the starter in New York, fans were excited about the mobility Jones brought to the table. He was the opposite of Manning from a scrambling standpoint, as the former would sit in the pocket and rely on sturdy protection before making a throw. Daniel Jones was going to be able to extend plays by himself, which is an element the team had not had in a long time.

While this skill set is valuable, it has also put Jones in harm’s way more often than Manning was. This has led to a few lower leg injuries that have kept him out of games over the years.

Part of what gives Jones a chance to be a viable NFL quarterback is his ability to run, but the Giants will have to weigh that against keeping him healthy for a full season.

Final Verdict

At this moment, it does not feel like Daniel Jones will succeed long-term as a New York Giant. He hasn’t yet shown a consistent ability to be the reason why a team thrives on offense, and the team might decide to part ways at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.