The New York Giants opted not to take a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft, which kept Daniel Jones' job safe. For now. Instead, the Giants selected wide receiver Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick, and Jones is already loving what he is seeing from the LSU standout.
“I mean, he can do everything,” Jones said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
Jones' comments do not come as much of a surprise given how highly touted Nabers was coming out of college.
Nabers was the second wide out off the board in April, with Marvin Harrison Jr. going to the Arizona Cardinals two spots before him. However, some feel that Nabers may actually be the best receiver in his draft class.
The 20-year-old is coming off of a fantastic 2023 campaign in which he hauled in 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. He arrived at LSU in 2021, logging 28 catches for 417 yards and four scores during his first season. Then, in 2022, Nabers broke out, catching 72 passes for 1,017 yards while reaching the end zone three times.
The Giants were absolutely desperate for a receiver heading into the offseason, and they are hoping that Nabers can fit the bill.
Can Daniel Jones prove to the Giants that he still belongs?
The 2024 NFL season will be the moment of truth for Jones.
Last year, Jones played in just six games before tearing his ACL, and when he was on the field, he was horrendous, throwing two touchdowns and six interceptions. To make matters worse for New York, this came on the heels of the Giants signing Jones to a four-year, $160 million deal last March.
But here's the catch: only the first two years of Jones' contract are guaranteed, meaning that Big Blue can cut bait with him after next season if things don't go well.
So, obviously, there is plenty of pressure on the Duke product heading into 2024.
In Jones' defense, he has never played with a true No. 1 receiver since joining the NFL in 2019. His best wide out throughout that time has been Darius Slayton, who has never registered 800 receiving yards in a single season.
As a matter of fact, the last time the Giants had a real No. 1 pass-catcher was Odell Beckham Jr., which was all the way back in 2018.
Not only that, but Jones has played behind a rather putrid offensive line throughout his New York tenure, so we should probably cut the 27-year-old some slack. That being said, it is unquestionably put up or shut up time for Jones.
The good news is that he seems like he finally has an elite talent at wide receiver in Nabers, so maybe we are about to see what Jones is really made of?
Keep in mind that Jones is two years removed from leading the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a Wild Card Round playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings, so he has shown in the past that he can be a capable quarterback.
We'll see if Jones can save his job this coming season.
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