Giants starting QB role is anything but set in stone per report

The New York Giants have led with the notion that Daniel Jones will start at quarterback in 2024, but rumblings behind the scenes continue to say otherwise.

On Friday, SNY NFL insider Connor Hughes gave the latest update on previous reports that allege that the Giants are also strongly considering backup QB Drew Lock for the starting gig (h/t Yard Barker’s Zac Wassink).

“Big Blue will head into camp with Lock behind Jones,” Hughes wrote. “The whispers are getting louder that the quarterbacking depth chart is written in pencil, though. (Head coach Brian) Daboll will play the player he believes gives the Giants the best chance. Understandable, considering what might happen if things go poorly.”

Giants: Is Drew Lock’s resume from 2023 enough to unseat Daniel Jones as starting QB?

There is a strong sentiment within the Giants’ team structure that Lock, one of their most notable offseason acquisitions, could give them a great chance to win games next season. His 2023 outing does not jump off the page or the screen in comparison to Jones, but shows a player that has the skills to man the QB slot.

In two starts for the Seattle Seahawks last year, the veteran completed 68.75 percent of his throws and amassed 477 passing yards along with a 3-2 TD-INT ratio. Lock’s completion percentage in Weeks 14 and 15 shows that he was able to successfully find his targets, especially against elite opponents in the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and NFC champs that before them in the Philadelphia Eagles. He also delivered a victory for the Seahawks in the latter matchup against the Eagles.

Albeit a small sample size, it exceeds his career peripherals, which show him to be a quarterback susceptible to turnovers. That works to his detriment as much as his benefit. Also, Lock isn’t nearly as effective as Jones in running the football, with a 5.8-3.9 disadvantage in the rushing yards per game department for their careers.

What’s working against Jones locking up the starting gig for next season

As for Jones, though his 67.5 percent completion pct. impressed, he failed to gain yards in the air with a stark career-low of 151.5 yards per game in 2023. His work from the eye test showed a QB that was not comfortable inside or out of the pocket.

The Giants’ bottom-of-the-barrel offensive line got upgraded this offseason, which will eliminate blame for any potential lackluster play from whoever mans the starting gig next season. The Giants are gunning for Jones to return to his form from 2022, where he led the Giants to a 9-7 record and the playoffs that year. However, coming off of a torn ACL with a poor showing when on the field in 2023, the last image he left the franchise is largely why Lock has a chance to strip his starting spot from him.