Tiki Barber says Daniel Jones will be a star in New York

Will Giants first-round pick Daniel Jones be a star? Former RB Tiki Barber certainly thinks so.

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber has never been one to shy away from expressing his opinion. He became a pretty harsh critic of the organization and QB Eli Manning after retiring from the game in 2006.

Maybe it was all in an effort to become a big-time media personality (which failed), but regardless of the motive, he’s back to offering his takes on Big Blue and their newest quarterback, Daniel Jones.

Barber, via TMZ Sports, actually had some glowing remarks for Jones, who he thinks will eventually silence all of his critics.

“I think he will be [a star here]. He’s got the smarts, he’s got the physical ability, he’s an athlete, and I think he’s surrounded by some good talent.”

That’s a pretty accurate scouting report on Jones, who coming out of Duke was regarded as a well-rounded, if not elite quarterback prospect.

The biggest problem facing Jones is where he was drafted. Had New York selected him at No. 17 overall instead of with the sixth pick, none of this post-draft fury would be occurring.

In case you missed it, Jones was booed by New York fans recently at a Yankees game.

The best thing that can happen to Jones at this point is to go out and have a dominant summer in both training camp and the preseason. Once his opportunity presents itself this fall — and believe me, it will — he’ll have to produce like any sixth-overall selection. But what he has to avoid is a poor start during his first exposure to the fans. He needs to build excitement and buzz, not frustration and rage.

Having a veteran like Barber on his side will certainly help. But at the end of the day, only his play will keep the boo birds away.