Not often have the jeers flowed as quickly as they did last season, shortly after the New York Giants made their selection with the sixth overall pick. Kentucky pass rusher Josh Allen and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver were both still on the board, both having been projected as potential top-four picks at different points in time, and both filling either a positional or talent-based need.
And yet… general manager Dave Gettleman, searching for answers in his second year at the helm, had repeatedly given indications that the team was eyeing a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks. Kyler Murray would be gone with the first overall choice; that much had been all but certain for weeks. But who would come next? Would New York bring in Dwayne Haskins, the Ohio State phenom? Would it be Drew Lock, a four-year starter for Missouri with a rifle arm?
To the immediate dismay of the rabid New York fanbase, it would be neither. As the card was brought to commissioner Roger Goodell and the name “Daniel Jones” was read, the boos could essentially be heard across America. The choice was widely discredited by analysts and draft gurus, and Gettleman’s job security would begin to be drawn into question.
Four poor Eli Manning starts later, Jones was taking the reins; the rest is now history. Jones proceeded to prove many critics wrong on a weekly basis, and while he hasn’t yet attracted the breakout predictions of peers like Murray, his steady play as a rookie has led many to believe the Giants now have their signal caller of the future.
But what does 2020 hold in store for the former Duke Blue Devil? For today’s predictions, there’s only one rule: we have to go big.