Daniel Jones' connection to Eli and Peyton Manning has already proven an incredible asset. If the three quarterbacks didn't play under current Duke coach David Cutcliffe in college, there's certainly a chance Jones wouldn't have been selected by the New York Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. Of course, that very notion is one of the biggest reasons why a sizable majority of Giants fans were so dismayed when the team made him the No. 6 overall pick, too.
For better and worse, Jones is linked to the Manning brothers, and he seems to be happy about it. Asked what Peyton Manning told him before he made the decision to enter the draft, Jones answered in a way that made it clear he was still taking those words to heart.
“His advice was, ‘Whatever decision you make or whatever you do, people are going to criticize it. It's your job to prove them right or prove them wrong,'” he said of Manning, per ESPN's Jordan Ranaan. “I think that is still relevant advice.”
But it's the younger Manning who Jones will benefit more from on the field as a rookie. Primed to play backup to Eli Manning in 2018, Jones believes what most he can learn from the two-time Super Bowl winner will come down to preparation.
“I think a lot of it is in his routine,” he said. “I think anyone who has played that long and had that much success, he certainly has a routine and there is a reason he's had that success. So to me I think it's just watching him every day and learning from what he does every day and how he carries himself and how he prepares every week.”
Jones, 21, threw for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while completing 60.5 percent of his passes with Duke last season.
Follow Us
Subscribe
