Giants QB Daniel Jones Ranked Lowest According to New Report

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, these days you can expect New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to generally find himself at or near the bottom of the quarterback rankings.

This is the case in Athletics Latest quarterback rankingsVeteran writer Mike Sando surveyed NFL personnel and general managers around the league to compile his list, which has four tiers.

Jones, who the previous year had landed in the third of Sando's four designated tiers, fell to Tier 3, defined as “a legitimate starter who needs a heavier running game and/or defensive component to win” and who would benefit from a “lower-volume backfield passing attack” and Tier 4, defined as “an unproven player (not enough information for voters to rank him) or a veteran who ideally should not start all 17 games.”

Jones, ranked 23rd on the list and the first quarterback in the lowest tier, has struggled with injuries for all but two seasons of his career, the last of which came in 2022. The durability issue is certainly a question mark, but an even bigger issue is his consistency, or lack thereof, on the field.

After posting his best numbers in 2022, a season in which he led the Giants to the playoffs and won a game against a shaky Minnesota Vikings defense, Jones reverted to being an erratic passer in 2023. He averaged a career-low 152 yards passing per game and threw just two touchdowns against six interceptions in the first year of his new four-year, $160 million contract.

To be sure, Jones' situation was far from stable: He played most of his six games without running back Saquon Barkley, and his offensive line disintegrated into an injury-filled mess. But Jones, whose season ended with a torn ACL, did little to help his cause due to questionable decisions that often backfired.

Unsurprisingly, Giants management seriously considered drafting a quarterback to potentially replace Jones. However, between not having a high enough spot in the draft order (the Giants were sixth) and their inability to negotiate a trade with the Patriots, who were third overall but also in need of a quarterback, the Giants were unable to get the player they wanted (it would likely be Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, who came in second and third in the draft order).

Instead, the Giants, who spent the month leading up to the draft bolstering an offensive line that had been historically bad the year before, pivoted to grabbing a top receiver in Malik Nabers, giving Jones his first true No. 1 receiver of his professional career.

All of this brings Jones to a make-or-break year. The Giants owe Jones an extra year of guaranteed money on his current deal, which is benign this year. After that, they can opt out of the contract and move on if they choose.

For now, expect Jones, who has an injury guarantee in his contract that would kick in next year if triggered, to have every chance possible to succeed and prove his worth for a higher spot in those frequent quarterback rankings that come out each preseason.