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Many experts believe the Giants will go with a defensive playmaker with their No. 6 pick, but the No. 17 pick is up in the air. Does GM Dave Gettleman go quarterback? What about another defensive playermaker? Even an offensive tackle can't be ruled out.
For the quarterback argument, the Giants know they need a successor for Eli Manning heading into this season, and the NFL Draft has some top prospects that could be that man. One of them that has been connected to the Giants is Duke QB Daniel Jones. The 6-foot-5 gunslinger impressed during his Senior Bowl drills, and some believe the Giants could nab him with their second first-rounder.
Is he worth? Here are the pros and cons for New York to call Jones' name down in Nashville...
Projected Pick: First Round
Stats
Height: 6-foot-5, Weight: 221 pounds
College (career): 8,201 yards, 52 touchdowns, 122.9 QB rate, 59.9 completion percentage
Combine: 4.81 40-yard dash, 33.5 vertical jump, 7.0 3-cone drill
Pros
The biggest pro for Jones is the fact that he has reached his true potential in some scout's eyes because of his coaching. At Duke, he has coach David Cutcliffe on his side -- the same quarterback guru that coached up Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. So you can understand why there's such a big connection between Jones and the Giants...
He has the prototypical quarterback frame at 6-foot-5, and has the desired arm strength from quarterbacks coming out of college. Jones also has the mind for the game, as scouts like how he reads his defense and runs through his progressions rather quickly.
Jones didn't have much around him either during his Blue Devils career. In turn, he was forced to make something out of nothing at times, and it worked out in his favor. Not having the best receivers, Jones needed to make sure his accuracy was on point, and fit balls through tight windows.
Though he has the physical attributes, a year behind Eli -- who Jones has worked with at Duke during the offseason -- will go a long way. It also fits the "Kansas City Model" that Gettleman wants to instill in the Giants' organization.
Cons
Not having much to work with also has its detriments. Jones sometimes forced balls when he didn't have to, and when he was about to get sacked, scouts noticed his habit to try to rely on his arm too much to throw jump balls.
Jones' decision making on the fly can definitely get better in that regard. He can rely on his arm strength a little too much, which turns into batted balls or interceptions. He also doesn't have the best ball security in the pocket, which can lead to fumbles when pressured.
There is also the fact that Jones isn't considered one of the top two quarterbacks in this class. Should the Giants really spend their second first-rounder on a quarterback that is expected to need develop instead of a defensive playmaker or offensive tackle that can play immediatley in 2019?
Conclusion
Plain and simple, Gettleman needs to be convinced heading into the Draft that Jones is the man for the Giants to hand the offense over to once Eli is officially hanging up his cleats. He could easily be a clone of the Manning brothers, but could also be too much of a project for the Giants to trust if Manning is expected to leave next season let alone mid-season in 2019.
As mentioned, Jones has the physical traits and has shown spurts of being a franchise-caliber quarterback. But do the positives outweigh the negatives enough for Gettleman to pull the trigger? I don't believe so, and I think the Giants could use another immediate impact player at No. 17. Then again, I'm not doing in-depth analysis like the Giants to make that determination at the end of the day.
Giants fans will remember the last time the team drafted a Duke quarterback. It was Dave Brown first overall, and that has gone down one of the worst picks in franchise history. Though this pick wouldn't have the same severity, it would still hurt if Jones didn't work out.
The Giants must be sure he's the real deal.