Every year, it seems NY Giants fans make a new excuse for why Daniel Jones deserves one more chance at the helm. Whether it's his lack of weapons, the shuffling of head coaches/coordinators in his early years, or the injury bug that seems to always bite, Jones has been let off the hook before.
However, although not the first time saying it, the 2024 season is Jones' last chance to put a solid performance on the field and look like the guy the G-Men paid $160 million. There is simply no excuse for Jones, and a poor 2024 season would virtually guarantee a new signal-caller heading into 2025.
Many early mock drafts have minimal faith in Jones and predict the Giants will be on the lookout for a quarterback early in the first round next year. Although it is too soon to tell, analysts seem to think the 2025 class is spearheaded by a two-headed quarterback monster: Carson Beck from Georgia and Sheduer Sanders from Colorado.
While NBC Sports, PFF, and Bleacher Report all have the Giants leaning toward Beck, the NY Times projects Sanders to take over the reins in NY. Let's examine why these respective news sources believe that these two prospects make the most sense for the G-Men in 2025.
"No. 1 overall pick: New York Giants (via trade with Panthers) take Georgia's Carson BeckEric Froton (NBC Sports)
The Giants traded up from No. 5 overall in this scenario to get started with the Daniel Jones exit strategy. Heading into the UGA spring game, Beck was battling two, five-star blue-chippers for the starting QB job. He proceeded to put forth a virtuoso performance, completing 72% of his passes for 3,949 yards and a 24-to-6 ratio in 2023, solidifying his status as QB Stetson Bennett’s successor and sending Brock Vandagriff scurrying to the portal."
"No. 5 overall pick: New York Giants select Georgia's Carson BeckMax Chadwick (PFF)
The first quarterback comes off the board. Beck's 91.5 grade in 2023 ranked fourth among college football quarterbacks. He plays with precise timing and accuracy and could be New York’s quarterback of the future with Daniel Jones seemingly on his last legs there."
"No. 6 overall pick: New York Giants select Colorado's Shedeur SandersJacob Wayne (NY Post)
Sanders showcased NFL-caliber skills last season, processing the field at a high level and finishing with 27 touchdowns to three interceptions. Despite playing behind a questionable offensive line, he had a 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate, the fourth-lowest in the country. The Giants are bringing back Daniel Jones for another season, but he’s likely not their long-term starter, and they can get out of his contract after this season for a $22.2 million dead cap hit. "
Daniel Jones has an unknown future with the NY Giants
Ultimately, all Giants fans can agree that the best-case scenario is Jones looking like his old self and returning to his 2022 form. With new and improved weapons, including the addition of Malik Nabers, Jones may find it far easier to get the ball out quickly and let the playmakers make guys miss.
When looking into the Giants' future, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll did more with the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft than select Malik Nabers. Schoen and Daboll committed to Jones and now have to live with the fact that if Jones plays like he did last season, he won't be the only one out of a job heading into 2025. Schoen and Daboll went all in on Danny Dimes and tried to surround him with some help. Now, only time will tell if that investment was worthwhile.
As we look forward to the 2024 college football season, keep an eye out for the Georgia Bulldogs' and Colorado Buffaloes' offenses. With two elite pro-style prospects leading those units, it will be fun to dissect the intricacies of Beck and Sanders' game. For the G-Men, let's hope that digging into the 2024 recruiting class is on the back burner and finding a way to make a deep playoff run is the primary concern come football season.