It looks like the Daniel Jones experiment – do we call it an experiment now? – is over for the New York Giants.
The former sixth overall pick could ironically be replaced by another No. 6 pick, because that’s the spot the Giants sit in for April’s NFL Draft.
ESPN reported Monday that Giants owner John Mara has told team officials they have his blessing to take a quarterback in this year’s draft, be it at six or another pick (Giants owner John Mara gives green light to draft quarterback).
Mara confirmed his opinion at the NFL annual meeting in Orlando Monday. “If they fall in love with a quarterback and believe that it’s worth pick No. 6 or moving up, I certainly would support that,” Mara said.
Although he said that, he also stated that another quarterback could be brought in for competition for Jones. “Why not let them both compete? Let them both compete and let the better man win,” Mara said, also on Monday.
It seems – SEEMS – to be a strong year for QBs this time out, likely beginning with Southern Cal signal-caller and former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, current Heisman winner Jayden Daniels from LSU, Washington’s Michael Penix, Michigan’s national title winner J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix and more.
The Giants, it’s reported, had already been doing their due diligence, having met with Maye and McCarthy; Joe Schoen, the team’s general manager, was at Williams’ pro day in Los Angeles last week; and team personnel were also at McCarthy’s pro day in Ann Arbor.
Just because they’re looking at, or even drafting a quarterback, doesn’t mean Jones is necessarily out the door. The team did sign Jones to a $160 million contract extension before the 2023 season, and Jones should be recovered from a season-ending injury.
There is this: Chicago, Washington and New England have the draft’s top three picks. After drafting both of them high in the 2021 draft, the Bears and the Patriots punted, so to speak, on Justin Fields and Mack Jones, respectively, as both were shipped out – Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and for the time being, both are expected to be backups (Fields to Russell Wilson and Jones to Trevor Lawrence).
Washington had been settled, under coach Ron Rivera, on Sam Howell, but the Commanders, who will have new owners, have also been rumored to be very high on D.C.-area native Williams.
This much is certain: Jones will definitely be under pressure to perform this season, whether it’s a high draft pick pressing him or pressure coming from above.
