Daniel Jones Lands in Middle of the Pack in New Quarterback Ranking

This will be the most important season of the sixth-year quarterback's career.

Nov 5, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

According to a segment of the New York Giants fan base, quarterback Daniel Jones is a first-round bust from which the team should have moved on. 

But NBC Sports’ Chris Simms, son of Giants legendary quarterback Phil Simms, was a little more generous in his assessment of Jones in his new Top-40 quarterbacks list. Simms ranked Jones at No. 23 out of 40.

"I am Giants biased," Simms said. "I do turn on the film though, right, and I go 'Damn, there's a lot I like about Daniel Jones.' There are games where you just go, ‘I don't care who we have at quarterback; this is a joke. He can't get protected, they can't run the ball, they can't do anything.’ So, it's not always easy–he has not been in a situation that's conducive to big-time quarterback play.”

Those who support Jones as the Giants signal caller have made the same arguments for Jones’s struggles, the latest of which happened last year when, prior to a season-ending torn ACL, Jones was batted around like a pinball behind an offensive line that couldn’t consistently protect him.

Last season stirred up doubts about Jones’s suitability as the long-term answer for the Giants at quarterback despite his solid showing in 2022 when he led the team to its first playoff win since 2011. 

Doubts were further amplified when it was revealed that the Giants were heavily investigating the quarterback class this year and were even looking to trade up in the draft to have a chance at former North Carolina signal-caller Drake Maye. 

With Jones getting another chance, this year is a make-or-break for him. If he falters again, the Giants can opt out of his four-year contract after this season.  

Simms, in his analysis, acknowledged that head coach Brian Daboll, who’s been hailed as a quarterback whisperer, gave Jones a system that is tailored to his strengths, though in Year 1 of that system, the stats and production were modest at best.

But the bottom line is that the Giants need to figure out what they have in Jones. This year, Jones will have an improved offensive line, a new running back committee headed by Devin Singletary, and a new No. 1 receiver in Malik Nabers. 

Daboll, who found success in Buffalo with Josh Allen as the play-caller there, will take over the play-calling this year and likely put the ball in Jones' hands more.

Jones, who has vowed to be ready to start training camp, has been working like a madman in getting ready for a big year ahead. Whether he quells the growing number of critics against him remains to be seen, but the Giants have done all they could to make sure he’s put in the best possible situation to succeed.

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