Getty New York Giants' quarterback Daniel Jones has been compared to Tom Brady by one of his biggest critics.
Daniel Jones’ upward curve has seen him go from potential draft bust to franchise quarterback, rewarded with a four-year, $160-million contract by the New York Giants. Now, even one of Jones’ biggest critics is prepared to compare the 26-year-old to Tom Brady.
Chris Simms had been one of Jones’ main detractors, but the NBC Sports analyst put Big Blue’s QB1 no. 11 in his latest annual ranking of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL.
Jones just missed the top 10, but Simms, speaking to Ahmed Fareed on an edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned, explained why he sees shades of seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady: “Size is a skill. … Daniel Jones, to me, is in a small class of quarterbacks in the NFL, where he can throw over the line of scrimmage. It keeps a variety of completions and throws still available to him that is not available to most quarterbacks in football, and it’s a short list. You know, him, (Justin) Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Brady could kinda do that.”
Simply being mentioned in connection with Brady is testament to how far Jones progressed during 2022. His progression is why the Giants paid up this offseason and are counting on No. 8 to continue getting better and officially join the ranks of the elite at football’s most important position.
It’s a gamble, but the signs are good Jones can meet expectations.
Daniel Jones Improved in Every Area During 2022
Simms, son of two-time Super Bowl champion Giants quarterback Phil, gave Jones credit for more than just his 6-foot-5, 221-pound frame. Jones also earned plaudits for his improved arm and accuracy: “Go back and watch. I mean, he’s got games where you go 10-12 plays in a row where you go, ‘there’s nobody open,’. and he’s still getting completions or still getting positive yards. He’s a high-level thrower of the football. What I mean, like a Kirk Cousins, it’s incredible control and accuracy. He hits the bull’s-eye a lot on tight-window, 15- and 10-yard throws.”
While he’s one of the more mobile signal-callers in the NFL, Jones made strides as a passer by setting a career-high tally of 3,205 yards through the air. He also threw just five interceptions, the fewest in a season of his career.
One of his best throws was a 33-yard touchdown completed to Darius Slayton during a 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7. As Next Gen Stats detailed, there was little separation between Slayton and his coverage, but Jones still managed to fit an “improbable” throw into a tight window.
Throws of this calibre became common for Jones on the watch of offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and head coach Brian Daboll. The latter helped turn Josh Allen into a star with the Buffalo Bills, and Simms believes Jones is on a par with Allen when it comes to running: “They could not have won and played the way they did without Daniel Jones’ skillset last year. His running is in the upper echelon of football’s runners. We know Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, right? He’s right there with Josh Allen and that crew right after it.”
Jones took his rushing threat up a notch last season. He amassed a career-best 708 yards on the ground, gaining 562 before contact, according to Pro Football Reference.
Many of Jones’ best runs were for crucial gains in clutch moments. Like when he dashed for eight bruising yards to help set up a Saquon Barkley touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings, a play highlighted by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Jones is the driving force of both phases of the Giant’ offense, but he’ll be expected to do even more after the team bolstered his supporting cast.
Jones Has More to Work With This Season
Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen need Jones to share more with Brady than height. Brady was consistent enough to win six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and add a further title as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, although he was famously beaten by the Giants in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.
Contrast that record with Jones, who is still striving to prove his championship credentials. The Giants are giving him every opportunity after trading for Pro-Bowl right end Darren Waller, signing wide receiver Parris Campbell in free agency and selecting natural deep threat Jalin Hyatt in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Those new faces can help Jones expand the Giants’ passing attack after the offense mustered a league-low 28 completions of 20-plus yards last season. Ironically, Jones actually performed well throwing deep, despite the lowly overall figure.
Numbers from Lauren Gray of Pro Football Focus show Jones had a deep passer rating of 119.4, good for third in the league. He also completed 43.5 percent of his deep strikes, the ninth-best mark in football.
One of his notable completions was this 44-yarder to Slayton against the Dallas Cowboys.
Jones has a talent for the long game, but he needs more opportunities, with Gray noting how he tried only 23 vertical throws last season, the second fewest on the charts. Extra chances will be available now Jones has speedsters like Campbell and Hyatt to aim for on the outside.
More production vertically is the next step toward Jones becoming an elite QB and meriting Simms’ lofty comparisons.
