Is Daniel Jones' career on the same track as Eli Manning's? Jones and the quarterback he replaced have been compared to each other since Day 1, but it's becoming tough to ignore the parallels to their Giants tenures.
The Giants had high expectations for Manning when they acquired him at the 2004 NFL Draft, but he didn't prove himself to be the franchise's long-term quarterback until New York's Super Bowl run in his fourth season.
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Jones has similarly shown signs of a breakout in Year 4, and he's shining in the playoffs ahead of free agency this spring.
After years of inconsistency, Jones is starting to justify a draft choice that was heavily scrutinized as soon as it was made.
The Sporting News takes a look back at why the Giants made Jones the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Where did Daniel Jones go to college?
Jones spent his college days at Duke, which isn't a quarterback pipeline to the NFL.
When the Giants drafted Jones in 2019, they made him just the second first-round pick out of Duke since 1987 (Laken Tomlinson in 2015 was the other) and the highest-drafted Blue Devils player since that 1987 draft.
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Jones started for three years at Duke. He finished third in program history with 52 touchdown passes as he helped to establish the Blue Devils as a mainstay in the ACC.
Why did the Giants draft Daniel Jones sixth overall?
Jones was considered a first-round prospect on draft night in 2019, but he wasn't expected to be drafted as high as he was.
In hindsight, it's not difficult to see why the Giants had serious interest in him. Jones has the prototypical size for an NFL quarterback at 6-5, he's one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league, and he's a smart decision-maker as a passer.
His arm talent won't blow anyone away, but the same could've been said for Eli Manning. Jones spent his college career playing under David Cutcliffe, who coached Manning at Ole Miss, and both possess quiet leadership abilities.
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Still, arm talent rules all, and there were legitimate questions about Jones' ceiling when he was drafted.
At the time, the Giants were known to be interested in Jones and were in need of a long-term quarterback, but they weren't expected to draft him sixth overall. New York also had the 17th pick in the draft but reportedly feared Jones would come off the board by that point.
The Giants ultimately drafted Dexter Lawrence 17th overall, which looks like a wise move.
Then-general manager Dave Gettleman defended his decision, saying after the draft, "In three years, we'll find out how crazy I am."
Three years later, Gettleman was fired and the Giants declined Jones' fifth-year option, but Jones' impressive fourth season has likely earned him a second contract in New York and at least partially justified Gettleman's gamble.
Daniel Jones vs. Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray, who was drafted first overall by the Cardinals in 2019, has had a better statistical career than Jones, but the two quarterbacks are more similar than you might think.
| Murray | Category | Jones |
| 57 | Starts | 51 |
| 25-31-1 | Record | 21-31-1 |
| 66.8 | Completion percentage | 64.0 |
| 13,848 | Passing yards | 11,603 |
| 84 | Passing TDs | 60 |
| 41 | INTs | 34 |
| 2,204 | Rushing yards | 1,708 |
| 23 | Rushing TDs | 12 |
Murray looked like an MVP candidate at times in 2020 and 2021, but he has taken a step back since the middle of the 2021 season and hasn't done serious damage as a runner since 2020.
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Jones, meanwhile, seems to be making strides as a passer while also utilizing his mobility. Considering Murray was given a $230 million extension from the Cardinals last summer, Jones is in line for a bigger contract this offseason than anyone might have expected.
