The New York Giants drafted quarterback Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, but Eli Manning apparently is still No. 1 to them.
In fact, general manager Dave Gettleman said the plan isn’t for Jones to go to training camp to compete with the veteran Manning for the job. The plan for Jones, the former Duke quarterback, appears to be longer term.
Remember when Aaron Rodgers watched another future Hall of Fame quarterback, Brett Favre, play for three seasons?
“Maybe we’re going to be the Green Bay model, where Rodgers sat for three years. Who knows?” Gettleman told reporters. “You can never have too many good players at one position.”
Circumstances were different in 2005 when the Packers took Rodgers with the 24th pick of the first round.
The Packers’ previous four seasons all had double-digit victories. Favre was 35.
The Giants’ win total in the previous four seasons is five, three, 11 and six. Manning is 38.
Manning’s time isn’t up yet with the Giants, though Gettleman said they are resting the future of the franchise on Jones.
“We drafted a quarterback that we believe is a franchise quarterback,” Gettleman said of Jones. “That’s really the long and the short of it.”
He said he called Manning personally to discuss the move to pick Jones.
“He was fine,” Gettleman said of Manning’s reaction. “I told him, ‘It’s your job, let’s roll.’ He said, ‘Let’s go.'”
Gettleman had been keeping his affinity for Jones largely under wraps, especially considering it was very early in the process — the third series of the Senior Bowl in January, to be precise — when Gettleman said he fell head over heels for the quarterback.
“He walked out there and I saw a professional quarterback after the three series that I saw. That’s when I was in full bloom love,” he said.
Jones said Thursday night was the first time he became aware the Giants were smitten, and it was just before the rest of the world learned as New York turned in a card with Jones’ name on it.
“I’m certainly thrilled to be in New York and can’t wait to get started,” said Jones, who turns 22 next month.
