Daniel Jones listed as QB3 at Giants’ voluntary workout
By Bryan Perez
Daniel Jones was drafted by the New York Giants with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, but he opened the team’s voluntary workouts as QB3 on the depth chart.
New York Giants first-round pick, Daniel Jones, isn’t being handed anything by the team this offseason. He wasn’t showered with glowing praise from GM Dave Gettleman after the draft and he didn’t begin his first voluntary workout as Eli Manning’s primary backup, a job he’s expected to hold once the regular season gets underway.
Jones was listed as the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Manning and Alex Tanney. Last year’s fourth-round pick, Kyle Lauletta, is on the shelf as he recovers from a knee injury.
Jones was the biggest storyline to emerge from the 2020 NFL draft, mainly because of how high he was picked. He was long considered a first-round quarterback, but no one saw the Giants selecting him with the sixth pick overall.
In fact, many mock drafts had Jones as New York’s choice at No. 17. They chose Clemson defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, instead.
Jones jockeyed with Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock throughout the draft process in the battle for the next-best quarterback behind Kyler Murray (who went No. 1 overall to the Cardinals). Haskins was the odds-on favorite to be QB2; instead, he went 15th to the Redskins.
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If all goes according to Gettleman’s plan, Jones won’t play at all in 2019. He’s of the opinion that Manning has plenty left in the tank and wouldn’t rule out Manning starting in New York beyond next season. Comments like that have added fuel to the fire of criticism surrounding the pick; quarterbacks selected as high as Jones traditionally start right away. At worst, they’re starting by Year 2.
Don’t get it twisted with the first depth chart. Jones will be New York’s primary backup and the odds are in his favor to actually start a few games in 2019. The Giants aren’t expected to be a competitive team, and once they officially fall out of the playoff race, the Jones era will get started.