Examining how Drew Lock can surpass Daniel Jones as the Giants’ starting QB

Even if the New York Giants select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team already has a promising signal-caller for this coming season on their roster, and his name is Drew Lock.

Lock was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract by the Giants. Countless headlines were written when Seahawks general manager John Schneider said Lock inked with NY to try and push for the starting job, claiming the Giants front office told Lock he'd have the chance to do so - similarly to what Tampa Bay did with Baker Mayfield when they brought him in. Lock quickly walked back those talks, but this really is something to think about, especially with Daniel Jones coming off a 2023 to forget.

Of course, the former first-round pick of the Giants is coming back from a torn ACL, as well as a neck injury that kept him out of multiple games at different points of his NFL career. Meanwhile, Lock is healthy as can be, fresh off sitting behind Geno Smith for two seasons in Seattle, while filling in admirably at times against some tough competition for the Seahawks.

Can Drew Lock manage to steal the QB1 job from Daniel Jones for the Giants?

Jones’ faults have been well documented over the last five seasons, and even though he showed some major promise in 2022, his play last campaign has fans abandoning all the goodwill built throughout the team’s playoff run - especially after Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito had better performances than Jones during their time on the field in 2023.

Lock’s time on the field last season came against two fantastic teams, the Philadelphia Eagles, before the wheels fell off, and the San Francisco 49ers. If you remember, Lock famously led the Seahawks to a win on Monday Night Football over the Eagles, and he actually made it a game against the 49ers when the two teams faced off, before turning the team back over to the aforementioned Smith. 

Brian Daboll isn’t a miracle worker, but Lock hasn’t had an offensive coach like the Giants leader throughout his entire NFL career. The Seahawks system was tailored to Smith’s strengths, and it was one the former Giants quarterback developed himself inside during prior seasons under Russell Wilson. Lock was always starting from behind the eight ball in Seattle. 

As for where Lock started his career with the Denver Broncos, the franchise was devoid of offensive ability during his tenure there, with Vic Fangio calling the shots as head coach. The Broncos were always going to be built with a defense-first mentality while Lock was there, and he wasn’t always given the skills needed to succeed in Denver. 

As Jones attempts to get healthy ahead of the 2024 season, Lock is going to have a lionshare of reps with the ones, as the Giants let Jones rehab at his own pace. It’s easily the best opportunity Lock has had for success in the NFL, and if Daboll can accentuate Lock’s strengths, like his rocket arm and athletic ability, New York can survive and thrive. He doesn't have the “Jersey Juice” DeVito provided, but Lock also brings some swagger to the team, if you remember his viral moment on the sidelines with the Broncos. 

Should the Giants commit to Lock long term? That’s certainly not the idea at the moment, and it wasn’t when they only signed him to a one-year contract, but the Buccaneers didn’t expect Mayfield to become their franchise quarterback last season either. That’s the game you play with these quarterbacks. 

Lock is only 27 years old, and he’s fresh after playing sporadically over the last couple of seasons. He’s someone Daboll can mold. Perhaps that’s all he needs, if history tells us the correct story. All he needs is a chance, and he’s getting it — it’s up to Lock to take it and run away from Jones, and whoever else the Giants bring in at quarterback in 2024.