Giants GM Joe Schoen expects we'll see 'best version' of Daniel Jones in 2023
After an up-and-down first few years in the NFL, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones took some tremendous strides forward during the 2022 season.
Working in Mike Kafka's and Brian Daboll’s system for the first time, he performed well enough to finish 11th in Comeback Play of the Year voting. Alongside star running back Saquon Barkley, Jones carried the Giants back to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
The 25-year-old finished the season with just five interceptions while throwing for a career-high 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns. Jones also began to utilize his legs more in the new system, rushing for 708 yards and seven more touchdowns.
He showed a flare for the dramatics, carrying Big Blue to comeback wins and shined on the biggest stage. Jones threw for 436 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also running for 102 yards in his first playoff appearance, a Wild Card round win over the Vikings.
The Duke product, who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 Draft, impressed new GM Joe Schoen with his breakout campaign.
“His job is to win us games and he did that for us last year,” Schoen recently said on the Zach Gelb Show. “He had some fourth quarter comebacks earlier in the year. He’s got the size, he has the arm strength, he’s athletic, he can gain yards with his feet and make all the throws.
“He carried the team when it mattered the most. In the fourth quarter, he had those comebacks, he had a playoff win on the road and played really well. He has all the physical talent and is wired the right way, he’s one of the hardest workers on the team.”
With Jones now locked up to a newly signed long-term deal, the Giants decided to go out and add more weapons around him this offseason. After having a bit of a revolving door at the receiver and tight end positions last year, things figure to be more steady this season.
Schoen acquired star tight end Darren Waller in a trade with the Raiders, drafted speedster Jalin Hyatt in the third round out of Tennessee and signed Parris Campbell in free agency among other moves.
So far in camp, Jones has looked extremely locked in and he’s building rapport with his new teammates. Between those additions and this being his second year in the system, Schoen is expecting another big performance from the franchise quarterback.
“He was able to perform at a high-level last year despite the constant changes at receiver or tight end,” Schoen told Gelb.
“With the guys we brought in we’re going to really get to see what he can do this year. We still have to come together as a group and we’re working on that. The biggest thing for him is the continuity of the staff, the understanding of the offense and the ability to execute at a high level.
"Then you upgrade some of the talent around him and I think you’re going to see the best version of Daniel Jones this year,” the GM added.
