NFL Insider Believes Giants Should Split Reps Between Daniel Jones and Drew Lock

All eyes are on New York Giants QB Daniel Jones for several reasons. 

The 2019 sixth overall pick is working his way back from an ACL tear suffered midway through the 2023 season, on top of having his second neck injury in the same span, and needs to show whether he can rebound to playing at the highest level needed from the team’s starting arm.

The Duke product is also returning to East Rutherford with something he had yet to be given by the Giants organization in his first five seasons. That is a legitimate offensive huddle, one with a retooled offensive line of veteran pass protectors and a slew of talented playmakers.

Thus far, however, there continue to be questions about Jones after nine practices in which he’s had his share of ups and downs. SNY insider Connor Hughes is of the opinion that the Giants should consider splitting the first-team reps with backup quarterback Drew Lock in camp.   

“Playing quarterback is a double-edged sword – you often receive all the praise when things go well, and all the blame when they’re not,” said Hughes. 

“Jones received unfair criticism for offensive struggles in the past when, far too often, there was little he could do because of an incompetent supporting cast. That, though, has not been the case this summer.

“The quarterback has time. The quarterback has receivers open. He’s not making the plays. The offense is struggling because of Jones, not in spite of him. That’s what’s alarming…If Jones can’t deliver it, then the Giants owe it to themselves and the rest of the players on this roster to see if Lock can.”

At this juncture of the preseason, making any move away from Jones to Locke might please the anti-Jones crowd, but it really wouldn’t be a smart decision given what the team has invested in Jones financially speaking. 

It also needs to be remembered that Jones didn’t have the benefit of working in team drills over the spring and he’s still working on getting his timing back. Working in 7-on-7 drills, as was the case for Jones in the spring, is a lot different than facing a pass rush in that it affects one’s timing, which thus far appears to be Jones’s biggest issue during team drills.

The Giants have already seen flashes of the 2022 Jones in camp. He seems more at ease with chicking the ball down the field and hasn’t shown any fear in running, showing that he can escape the pocket with pressure invading to make throws on the move or punch the pigskin into the end zone.

It hasn’t been perfect, as noted, but it also hasn’t been so disastrous that a change in plans regarding Jones taking all the first-team reps is necessary just yet. While it’s not known yet if Jones will get any preseason snaps, the more work he can get toward smoothing out the timing issues and making better reads, the better he stands to be.