As New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones enters his sixth season in the NFL, the former sixth overall pick is looking to accomplish something he hasn’t done since his rookie season. Jones has not thrown 20 touchdown passes or more since 2019 when he had 24 that year which was a Giants rookie season record. He has since regressed and has seen his touchdown passes fall as he had just 11 in 2020, 10 in 2021, and 17 touchdown passes in 2022 which was good enough to send New York to the playoffs that year.
Now as he and the Giants begin to prepare for training camp which is set to begin in a couple of weeks, Jones will be without one of his favorite players and targets out of the backfield for Big Blue with running back Saquon Barkley off playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants can’t afford another down year from Jones especially after he signed a four-year, $160 million contract last offseason. Despite all of that and some uncertainty about how Daniel Jones may fare this season, these three reasons could potentially be why he will surpass 2o touchdowns in 2024.
The Addition of Malik Nabers
Losing Barkley will undoubtedly leave a hole on the Giants offense, but their first-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft could help elevate a Giants offense that has been one of the league’s worst for a while. Wide receiver Malik Nabers may bring a new dynamic feel to the Giants’ receiving core that has not seen a wideout have a 1,00-yard season since 2018 from a guy named Odell Beckham Jr.
Nabers had a tremendous collegiate career at LSU and was named one of the best wide receivers from this year’s draft. Nabers had over 1,500 receiving yards in 2023, a career-best on 89 receptions with 14 touchdowns, top numbers in the SEC. The Giants are very high on Nabers and if there is any player that can help Jones reach the feat of touchdown passes for the first time in over five years, it’s Malik Nabers.
Brian Daboll Potentially Calling Plays?
The Giants are still set to bring back offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for a third season and while the Giants did make the playoffs in one of those seasons, his playcalling has still been questioned. The Giants averaged just 21.5 points per game in 2022 which was 18th and a dismal 16.5 last season which was 30th in the NFL. So, something has to give.
There have now been reports this offseason that Head Coach Brian Daboll will reportedly take over play-calling duties for the Giants this season which could benefit Daniel Jones this season and beyond. Daboll was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills from 2019-2021 and many thought he was a factor in the elevation of Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s play. We have seen bits and pieces of greatness out of Daniel Jones during his Giants tenure and now with Daboll potentially calling plays, he may be in for a much better season in 2024.
An Improved Offensive Line for the Giants
It’s no secret that the Giants’ offensive line has been a mess for such a long time now and last season was no better. From injuries and lineup changes from New York’s offensive line in 2023, they led in sacks allowed this past season by a wide margin with 85 sacks allowed. But could relief be on the way for Daniel Jones to get much better protection?
General Manager Joe Schoen addressed the Giants’ offensive line issues this offseason by adding two steller tackles that he hopes can fix something that has been broken for the Giants for years. Schoen signed former Green Bay Packer guard Jon Runyan Jr. to a three-year contract and also former Las Vegas Raider tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to a two-year contract who have both been reliable throughout their careers.
Runyan over the last three seasons in Green Bay has allowed just six sacks during that stretch and Eluemunor has done a great job staying healthy throughout his career as in 2022 most notably, he started all 17 games for the Raiders. With the addition of those two stellar offensive linemen and a healthy Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal, they could provide the protection that Daniel Jones needs this year. If he does get that protection, the Giants signal caller may be in for a much better season this year.
