New York Giants QB Daniel Jones has been one of the league’s most impressive rookies since the 2019 NFL draft concluded.
The happiest man in the NFL may be New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who was the target of universal criticism after he selected Duke QB Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jones was considered draft weekend’s biggest reach. In fact, Gettleman’s competency as a general manager was questioned by the New York media and Giants fans alike.
But everything Jones has done since the draft has been positive and impressive. He’s been so impressive at the rookie and veteran minicamps that a legitimate quarterback competition is being predicted for as early as training camp.
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ESPN’s Chris Mortenson confirmed Jones’ ascending stock on ‘Get Up.’
“What’s interesting to me is that even the skeptics about taking Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall are now, after watching him, saying he’s the real deal,” Mortenson said. “Jones — with all the experience he had at Duke — and we forget that compared to Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray — a lot of experience at Duke. He has shown very well this spring.”
Groupthink is a dangerous thing during draft season. Once a narrative around a player catches mainstream acceptance, it’s nearly impossible to change it. It’s only when that player gets an opportunity to perform in the NFL when pre-draft opinions are reviewed and (gasp!) revised.
If Jones shows out in preseason and has the kind of month these reports are suggesting he may just have, it’ll be downright entertaining to watch the takes fly on Twitter and other social media outlets. The draftniks who crushed Jones will be left to justify their takes or (gasp!) admit an error in their evaluation.
To be fair, Jones can’t really prove himself worthy of the sixth overall pick simply because of a good preseason. And he can’t prove himself capable of being a long-term NFL starting quarterback because of a few good scrimmages either.
What he can do is silence the masses and give himself the much-needed time to develop and prepare for his likely starting role in 2020.