Danny Dimes will not be kicked out of the Big Apple soon

By: Jake Rajala

Daniel Jones, who is now entering his third year in the league, has been through his fair share of ups and downs. Jones has proven to be an excellent deep passer, but he has had his moments of struggling to secure the football (36 career turnovers).

Heading into the 2021 season, Jones has been given his highest expectations thus far. Jones will be accompanied by wide receiver Kadarius Toney who was taken in the first round and prominent running back Saquon Barkley, who is coming off a season-ending injury. Undeniably, the Giants signal-caller is expected to take the next step.

There is a grand question that’s worth asking with regards to the first-round QB: Is 2021 a make-or-break season for him? I believe the answer is a clear NO. There are a few reasons why Jones is safe to be the Giants signal-caller for at least this season.

• There are other glaring holes on the roster

Joe Judge embodies not just an old school personality, but a fundamental approach to building a football squad. Judge has made it clear that he wants to build his team the right way from day one. He’s not a fan of splash signings or draft picks, but rather building a team around a QB, vs throwing a QB in the fire (that’s the other former NY coach).

With that said, the Giants are still a couple seasons away from building a competitive roster around any talented QB. The defense still needs to improve on the DL, they could use a couple more playmaking LBs, and there aren’t any young studs in the secondary outside of Jabril Peppers.

• Jones will be above the QBs available on the draft board

The Giants will likely unveil 6-10 wins in the 2021 season. So, the QB options in the draft will not be daunting, nor would it be worth for the team to cough up draft picks to move up the draft board. Let’s face it – Spencer Rattler and Sam Howell will be off the board when the Giants are on the clock.

Jones is surely above the QBs after the first two. More importantly, the experience of Jones will give him a huge advantage over the less sexy rookie signal callers.

• Jones will grow in year three with the Giants offense

I confidently see Jones taking steps of growth in 2021. The rookie Toney will be a quality piece for Jones, Evan Engram remains in the offense, and Saquon Barkley will return healthy. As Pro Football Focus well stated, Jones remains an underrated QB. 

Jones should record around 32+ passing TDs and 3,500+ passing yards next season. His rookie season was impressive with an abysmal offense (24 TDs in 13 games). Expect to witness a career season out of the third-year QB with the best cast he has had. If and when Jones puts up quality numbers, it will be enough to maintain his starting position in the Big Apple for beyond 2021.