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Folks, it’s no secret that I’m not the biggest fan of current New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. It’s a well known fact that I melted down during draft night in 2019 when he was selected. It’s also a well known fact to anybody who isn’t a Dave Gettleman apologist that his first two seasons have left a lot to be desired.
A lot of my initial fears have been confirmed: Jones isn’t a franchise carrier, he lacks elite arm talent, and he doesn’t have the IT factor that successful quarterbacks have. He has just eight wins in his two year career and doesn’t have a 4th quarter comeback since his first career game.
While the team around Jones has admittedly been terrible due to Dave Gettleman & Co.’s poor roster building strategy, franchise carrying quarterbacks find a way to elevate the talent around them. Daniel Jones is not a franchise carrying quarterback.
The following list is of the four quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft who at least have the potential to be franchise carrying quarterbacks. Will all of them be hits? Most likely not. But these quarterbacks have the traits to carry a franchise which is something that Daniel Jones doesn’t have. The Giants should consider drafting one of these players if they’re available at pick number 11.
Let’s get to this list.
1. Trevor Lawrence- Clemson
Trevor Lawrence will be the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s a generational quarterback prospect that only comes around once every ten years or so. He obviously will not be there when the Giants pick at number 11 but he clearly has more potential than Daniel Jones so that’s why he’s on this list.
2. Zach Wilson- BYU
There’s nothing about this quarterback prospect that I don’t love. He’s got an electric arm. He’s accurate. He’s mobile. He plays with poise. His ceiling is through the roof and his arm talent is so much better than Daniel Jones that it’s not even funny. My gut tells me that Wilson will end up as a top 5 pick this year but if he doesn’t then the Giants should consider him.
3. Justin Fields- Ohio State
Justin Fields is falling down draft boards a little bit. I’ve been a critic of Justin Fields but I also have said that it’s important not to overthink it with a prospect like this. His arm is too good for him to be anything worse than an average quarterback. His ceiling is also pretty high. If he falls to pick 11, the Giants should absolutely consider Justin Fields.
4. Trey Lance- North Dakota State
Trey Lance is the most interesting quarterback prospect in this draft. He has a great arm but he also is the most boom or bust quarterback prospect I’ve seen since Josh Allen. While Josh Allen has worked out, Lance may not be so lucky. That being said, his ceiling is much higher than Daniel Jones’s ceiling.