Tommy or Drew: Which Quarterback Should Giants Start in Next Game?

The New York Giants must decide if Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito should be their starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Brandon Olsen | Dec 2, 2024

Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock (2) and quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) look on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Giants

Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock? That’s the question New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll needs to figure out for this week as the team continues to play out its disappointing 2024 season.

As of Friday, when he spoke to the media, Daboll wasn’t willing to offer an answer as to which way he was leaning. He noted that they wanted to see where DeVito, who missed Thursday's game against Dallas with a forearm injury, was and where Lock, who got knocked around against the Cowboys, was as well.

So, who makes the most sense for the Giants? Truthfully, this whole debate is like leaving yourself between a rock and a hard place at quarterback, which is another indication of how poorly this organization has handled building that room.

If the conversation is truly, “Which quarterback gives us the best opportunity to win?,” then the answer is Lock, and that’s based on what these two quarterbacks have done in their respective starts this season.

Lock is the more experienced option, and while he didn’t look great by any stretch, he made plays out of structure. Remember, the Giants have an offensive line dealing with injuries, and having a quarterback who is able to improvise needs to be a priority.

Lock handles the out-of-structure work better than DeVito while remaining more aggressive in scenarios.

Aggressive tendencies may lead to more turnovers, but this is a Giants offense that has become so conservative that opposing defenses are content with blitzing the lights out and covering underneath routes because the Giants haven’t shown they can beat that.

The Giants offense will never reach an elite tier regardless of which quarterback is the starter, but Lock raises the floor and ceiling of the offense.

Both options are bad at evading pressure and will eat sacks when they shouldn’t. But on the bright side, they can complete underneath passes and work the RPO game effectively.

Having one option that’s been more willing and able to push the ball downfield opens up the rest of the offense and should be the starting option.

When you throw the long-term question into the conversation, DeVito, if healthy, makes a strong case due to the team’s willingness to have him as their backup in the future. That said, we’re not convinced that DeVito is anyone’s long-term answer for anything.

Lock should be the answer if Daboll wants to win football games. And despite fans wanting this team to tank for a top draft spot, for Daboll, winning games and trying to save his job is probably a much higher priority than worrying about who QB2 is in 2025.

Of course with all that said, DeVito’s injured forearm could very well end up making the decision for the team. DeVito, remember, didn’t accompany the team on its chartered flight to Dallas last Wednesday so he could receive further evaluation.

It was made known on the television broadcast that DeVito didn’t suffer a fracture, which now raises the question of whether what he has is simply a bruise or if there is some sort of ligament/muscle injury that might be affecting his ability to grip the ball.

Daboll is not scheduled to speak to the media until Wednesday, but if the decision was made as Daboll told the media Friday after his video call with reporters, we might find out before then.