Jones Shining Through Dark Season

Very few experts and fans expected the New York Giants to select Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. But there he was, up on the stage in Nashville donning the Giants’ cap and hugging the commissioner.

- John Fennelly

The odds were stacked against the North Carolina native from the start. Very few Giants fans wanted him in Blue and even fewer had any confidence that he would be any better than the last Duke quarterback the Giants drafted, Dave Brown, who the franchise hung their hopes on in the early-to-mid 1990s.

For the Giants to cash in on the pick, Jones would have to displace the monolithic Eli Manning, who had never missed a game due to injury in his 15 years under center for the Giants.

By Week 3, Jones was named the starter. His debut was as memorable as any Giant fan has seen in their lives. Jones rallied Big Blue to a 32-31 victory at Raymond James Stadium, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for two more. A new day in Giants Football had dawned.

The next week, Jones led the Giants to a second consecutive victory over the sorrier Washington Redskins to even the team’s record at 2-2. Hope was in the air. Jones could rally this young bunch to a string of victories was the common train of thought.