Giants’ starting quarterback position is still a topic of discussion.
A growing number of analysts believe Drew Lock and Daniel Jones will compete for the QB1 position this summer.
The New York Giants are in the midst of their offseason program, and training camp is quickly approaching. And the Giants quarterback position is still one of the hottest subjects of the spring after they failed in their attempt to move up for a new quarterback in last month’s draft.
Before suffering an ACL rupture in Week 9, Daniel Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million agreement last summer, had a disastrous 2023 season with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He also missed the previous three games due to a neck injury sustained against the Dolphins in Week 5.
The other quarterbacks currently on the roster are Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. DeVito had a short stint of fame when he led the Giants to a three-game winning streak from Weeks 11-13.
Undrafted rookie quarterback DeVito passed for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions in nine games. He wasn’t bad all around because offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and head coach Brian Daboll made the most of him. However, he still has a great deal of untapped potential as an NFL signal caller.
Lock committed to a $5 million, one-year contract in March to serve as Jones’s backup.
At least, that’s what was originally thought. Recently, there’s been increasing chatter about Lock potentially pushing for the starting job, with NFL.com draft analyst  that Lock “has a really good shot” to beat out Daniel Jones as the No. 1 quarterback on the Giants’ depth chart.
“They were comparing Daniel Jones and Drew Lock, with an emphasis on Drew Lock, to the QBs that were going to be there (at 6), and the line for them was Drake Maye,” Jeremiah said.
Lock, a former first-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos, spent last season with the Seahawks, throwing for 543 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in four games. He was the backup to Geno Smith and had a notable comeback win against the Eagles in Week 15 last season.
Lock has struggled to find his footing as a starting quarterback in the league, but with Jones recovering from a torn ACL, it wouldn’t be surprising if, regardless of whether Jones is medically cleared in time for training camp, Lock gets another chance at a starting quarterback role.
Already it’s expected he’ll get first-team reps in the spring while Jones finishes the advanced stages of his rehab. And it wouldn’t be surprising if Lock ended up taking a nice chunk of the preseason snaps, as Jones probably won’t play in those games.
From the Giants’ perspective, the goal is to get Lock as up to speed on the offense as possible, just in case Jones isn’t ready. One way to do that is to get him as many reps as possible.
And if Lock should look good with the reps he gets? That could create a dilemma for the Giants brass, who have said that “the expectation” is for Jones to start once healthy, a statement that has left them some wiggle room.
Albert Breer of SI.com concurred that the Giants may use this situation, saying he wouldn’t rule it out even if he doubts Lock would replace Jones as the starter (assuming Jones stays healthy).
Meanwhile, the Giants plan to use this as a plot point for their OTAs and minicamps this spring. Brian Daboll, the head coach, has reiterated what Schoen said regarding Jones being the starting player once healthy.
Even yet, there will be an indirect rivalry since, after a year and a half, Daboll and the coaches are aware of Jones’ capabilities within the existing system, while they are ready to see whether Lock can manage things more skillfully.
