The New York Giants signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a $160 million extension ($92 million guaranteed) this past offseason, a move that sparked the debate about whether or not Jones was “elite.”
There are as many detractors as there are supporters. Both make solid points in their arguments with certain stats and also with the lack of certain stats.
One person who can answer the question simply is Jones himself. And like Eli Manning once did before him, DJ says he views himself among the league’s very best.
“I’m very confident in myself,” Jones told veteran Giants beat writer Art Stapleton recently. “I’m very confident that I can play this game at a high level and lead this team to win a lot of games.
“Yeah, I’m very confident in myself,” Jones added when asked if he was in the elite class.
Jones has had a rough and uneven first four seasons to his NFL career since being selected sixth overall by the Giants back in 2019. He has shown flashes of eliteness but has also struggled mightily at times, falling victim to nagging injuries, an inexplicably high number of turnovers and poor decision making.
Much of that comes from the Giants being an unsettled mess during Jones’ first three seasons, playing for multiple head coaches and offensive coordinators and behind a subpar offensive line.
Last year, he inherited another new head coach and coordinator in Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka. But this duo came with stacked resumes. Daboll, a long-time successful offensive coordinator and three-time Super Bowl champion, was responsible for the development of Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen.
Kakfa was hired away from Kansas City, where he had been Patrick Mahomes’ quarterback coach and passing game coordinator. The two men have combined to set Jones on a path to success.
If they’ve done anything, they’ve brought some structure to the club and have given Jones a platform to build on. His confidence stems from that stability.
“Knowing the system definitely helps. In camp now, this being our second year in it, getting to what we’re good as a group and as an offense, that’s helpful and makes a difference,” Jones said. “Knowing the coaches, a lot of these guys who we’ve brought back, that’s definitely one of the reasons why we are starting in a better spot than last year. The challenge is to keep continuing to grow, continuing to build and improve every day.”
Fantasy Football enthusiasts don’t have to be convinced of Jones’ ability. Last season, Jones ranked ninth in fantasy points among quarterbacks, higher than the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff and Derek Carr.
