New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is still recovering from a torn ACL that forced him to miss eight games last season, but he has been throwing with “accuracy and velocity” in organized team activities (OTAs) so far.
Anyone hoping that backup quarterback Drew Lock will replace Jones might want to look away.
While Jones has performed well so far this offseason, Lock has not: Not only has the veteran struggled to adjust to a new offensive system, but he was wildly inaccurate during Thursday’s open practice.
my #New York Giants Lessons learned from the first OTA practice:
– Daniel Jones looked smooth on his surgically repaired knee.
– Let’s stop the QB debate. DJ has looked like the sharpest QB so far this offseason, and Drew Lock’s inaccuracy today further confirmed that. DJ… pic.twitter.com/Axizjgv1Az— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) May 23, 2024
In addition to Dunleavy, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News also reported that Lock was active in 11-on-11 games, putting the ball in danger multiple times.
This was during just one indoor OTA practice in May, when Jones was limited to 7-on-7 pitching, but Lock struggled to execute the first-team offense during 11-on-11 periods.
He threw risky passes in crowded areas, missed a couple of high passes to open targets, nearly threw an interception deep in coverage and just generally looked shaky. A deep touchdown pass to rookie first-round draft pick Malik Neighbors was Lock’s only salvation.
Defenders disputed Lock’s 50-yard touchdown pass to Neighbors, claiming it would have been a sack in the actual game.
“It’s the spring game,” manager Brian Daboll said when asked about Lock, “and he’s absorbing the information well, so we’re just going to try to get better every day.”
Jones, meanwhile, remains focused on getting healthy and ready to start in Week 1, rather than necessarily competing with Lock.
“I think we’re all just trying to do what we can to make this team as good as we can,” Jones said. “Just like any other year, I’m competing with my teammates. There’s competition in every room on this team. Like I’ve said a couple of times, I’m just going to try to get healthy and play good football.”
The Giants insist there is no quarterback competition and that Jones will start as long as he is available. If you don’t take their word for it, take the play: Jones has a big lead over Lock early on.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire
