The Giants QB room is a question mark

By: Charlie Vakassian

With the offseason underway for the New York Giants, it is time to look at each position, see who will stay or go, and evaluate potential upgrades at the position. This week, we will look at the quarterback position, where the GMen still don’t know what they have in Daniel Jones.

Jones struggled with injuries once again this year, missing the last six games of the year with a strained neck. When on the field, he threw for 2428 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran for 298 yards on the ground, using his mobility well. The problem with Jones has always been holding onto the ball, as he has 65 turnovers, compared to 50 total touchdowns in his career. Whoever the Giants bring in as their new GM and HC, they are going to have to decide if they want to keep Jones or bring in a guy they prefer.

Options in the Draft

The Giants have two top 10 picks in the first round and could use one on a QB if they fall in love with one of the available guys. The top options include Matt Corral out of Ole Miss, Kenny Pickett from Pitt, and Malik Willis of Liberty. If the Giants were going to draft a new QB, my money would be on Corral, as he had the Ole Miss pedigree, similar to Giants legend Eli Manning. Corral has a cannon of an arm and is athletic enough to evade defenders while in the pocket.

Free Agency Options

This option is pretty weak if the Giants are looking for a starter. Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater head what is an underwhelming free-agent class. However, there are plenty of serviceable backups available, and the Giants desperately need a backup option. Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm were horrible in relief of Jones. Someone to keep an eye on is Marcus Mariota, who I believe could be coaxed to come to New York and would be fine if pressed into service.

Trade Market

This is where things get interesting. There have been a lot of rumors linking Russell Wilson to the Giants, as he put them on a shortlist of teams he would accept a trade to. The Giants also have the draft capital to make a deal happen with the Seahawks, as they have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds this year. The only problem is cap space, as Wilson is in the middle of a four-year, 140 million dollar contract, and the Giants have no cap space, thanks to the poor decision-making of Kevin Abrams and Dave Gettleman. Other quarterbacks who may be available on the trade market include Deshaun Watson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr, and Baker Mayfield.

Concluding Thoughts

If I had to guess, I would say Daniel Jones is back for another year, but his fifth-year option is not picked up by the team. The 2023 draft class will be much richer in QB talent than the 2022 class, and if the Giants have another subpar year, they can get their pick of the litter.

If Jones plays well, then they can bring him back on another contract. The only other scenario I can see playing out is if the new GM wants to push all the chips in now, and swing a trade for Russell Wilson. Unlikely at best, but you can never rule anything out in the NFL these days.