NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Redskins end up with a first-round quarterback, go defense in Round 2
Quarterback. Duke. Daniel Jones. 6. player. 31.
Some may be shocked to see both Lock and Daniel Jones come off the board before a certain Ohio State quarterback. But, it’s quite possible that the top four quarterbacks in this class could go in any order. It’s not a very strong group, and they are all clustered around each other in most rankings. So, it will be more about what each team looking for a quarterback sees in the quarterback in question.
Jones is a player who could end up rising up boards, and his hype train has already gained a little extra steam since the end of the college football season. With his 6-foot-5 frame and solid mobility, Jones has the prototypical tools that quarterbacks need to succeed at the NFL level. Now, it’s all about whether or not he can polish everything and turn into a starting quarterback.
WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell recently spoke to a handful of NFL general managers and said that it seems that Jones may have a chance to be the first quarterback off the board in the draft. Here’s what Campbell said in a recent rumor-mill article.
Washington Commanders
"Entering this draft season, that quarterback was Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. But in speaking with three general managers, they believe that Duke quarterback Daniel Jones will rise to be the first quarterback selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. Independently, all three general managers thought Jones would rise to be the first quarterback picked. They felt that his tutelage under David Cutcliffe and Cutcliffe’s history grooming and coaching Peyton and Eli Manning would lead to Jones rising up draft boards. On top of his grooming, Jones has a good skill set with collegiate production."
This certainly makes sense, as Jones is regarded as a very smart quarterback with a high football IQ. He may have an easier time transitioning to the pro level than Haskins and Lock because of this coaching. Essentially, Jones has the highest floor of the quarterback group and in a weak class, teams often will sacrifice upside for a sure thing.
Jones could interest the Giants because of the connection to Cutcliffe and simply because he would at the very least be an upgrade over Eli Manning. He has the arm talent needed to efficiently operate the Giants’ offense, so don’t be surprised if they end up going with Jones with this pick. Haskins is certainly an option as well, but for now, Jones seems to be more connected to the Giants.