Giants QB Daniel Jones Lands in Lowest Tier Ranking in New Report

Jones is facing a make-or-break year in Year 6 of his career.

Florham Park, NJ -- August 21, 2024 -- Giants quarterback Daniel Jones during the post-practice press conference. The New York Giants came to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, New Jersey to participate in a joint practice with the New York Jets. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, these days, one can expect New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to usually land at or near the bottom of quarterback rankings.

Such is the case in The Athletic’s latest quarterback rankings. Veteran writer Mike Sando surveyed NFL personnel people and general managers around the league to compile his list, which has four tiers.

Jones, who the year prior landed in the third of the four tiers Sando designated, fell to front Tier 3, defined as “a legitimate starter but needs a heavier running game and/or defensive component to win” and who would benefit from “a lower-volume drop back passing offense” to Tier 4, defined as “an unproven player (not enough information for voters to classify) or a veteran who ideally would not start all 17 games.”

Jones, ranked No. 23 on the list and the first quarterback in the lowest tier, has battled injuries throughout his career in all but two seasons, the last being 2022. The durability issue is certainly a question mark, but an even bigger one is his consistency, or rather the lack thereof, on the field.

After posting his best numbers in 2022, a season in which he took the Giants to the postseason and won a game against a shaky Minnesota Vikings defense, Jones reverted to an erratic passer in 2023. He averaged a career-low 152 passing yards per game and only threw two touchdowns to six interceptions in the first year of his new four-year, $160 million contract. 

Granted, things around Jones were far from stable–he played most of his six games without running back Saquon Barkley, and his offensive line disintegrated into an injury-filled mess. But Jones, whose season ended with a torn ACL, did little to help his cause thanks to questionable decisions that often came back to bite the team.

To no one’s surprise, the Giants brass heavily considered drafting a quarterback to eventually replace Jones. However, between not having a high enough spot in the draft order–the Giants were sixth–and their being unable to work out a trade with the Patriots, who held the third overall spot in the order but also needed a quarterback, the Giants were unable to get the guy they wanted (believed to be either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, who went second and third in the draft order).

Instead, the Giants, who spent the month before the draft beefing up an offensive line that had been historically bad the year before, pivoted toward taking a top receiver in Malik Nabers, giving Jones his first true No. 1 receiver of his pro career.  

All of this brings Jones to a make-or-break year. The Giants owe Jones one more year of guaranteed money on his current deal, which is benign this year. After that, they can terminate the deal and move on if they so choose.  

For now, expect Jones, who has an injury guarantee in his contract that would kick in next year if it gets triggered, to get every possible chance to succeed and prove his worthiness of a higher spot in these frequent quarterback rankings that come out every preseason.

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