What is the Giants future at QB? NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler breaks down their options

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What is the Giants future at QB? NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler breaks down their options

The New York Giants’ season is almost over. There are still some important questions to be answered about who will be responsible for setting this franchise in the coming months, and perhaps the season’s withdrawal will help provide some clarity there.

However, one thing we know for sure is that the Giants’ future at quarterback is not on the roster. Whoever is in charge will have to make a major decision at the most important position in the sport. Maybe the Giants will go the veteran route, but for now we’ll explore their NFL Draft options.

And for that we turn to the best in the industry, The Athletics‘s design expert Dane Brugler.

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Brugler’s insights are essential for anyone who wants to get a head start on preparing their concept. Today that’s us, when we asked Brugler to talk Daniel Jones, the quarterback class of 2025 and more.

Let’s start:

The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. You scouted him before the Giants selected him at No. 6 in the 2019 draft. How did his career in New York compare to your expectations at the time?

Brugler: Jones is an example of, “I’d rather be wrong on draft night and right down the road,” because it was clear at the time that Jones would be drafted in the first round, probably even in the top 10. But I couldn’t can’t get there with my evaluation. Jones finished at No. 53 overall in the 2019 draft of The Beast with a late second-round pick.

At the time, I wrote, “While he doesn’t have a very impressive resume on paper, Jones has elevated the average talent around him in the Duke offense, relying on both his arm and his legs. His low-key personality may not immediately command a room, but he competes with a quiet confidence and shows no fear on the football field. Overall, Jones doesn’t have exceptional physical attributes and his internal clock requires work, but he is a cerebral passer who makes accurate measurements with active eyes and feet, and projects like a B-level NFL starter.

With his smarts and athleticism at 6-5 and 220 pounds, I thought Jones had a solid foundation for his NFL transition. He elevated the undersized talent around him at Duke by extending plays and periodically putting NFL throws on tape. But his eyes consistently betrayed him to defenses, and his internal clock was a major problem — two areas that are difficult to develop compared to the speed of the NFL. Bottom line: I thought it was easy to like Jones as a prospect, but hard to love and fully commit to him.

History will remember too much of the bad and not enough of the good from the Jones era in New York, especially after the ill-advised contract extension. But the Giants are long overdue for a change at quarterback.

How many QBs do you currently expect to be drafted in the first round and who are they?

The first step is to find out who is in this draft class and who is going back to school. NFL scouts believe Alabama’s Jalen Milroe will turn pro, while LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier will return to school. What will Penn State’s Drew Allar do? Texas’ Quinn Ewers has planned for this to be his final year in Austin, but he could keep his options open if the NFL feedback isn’t what he wants to hear.

NFL teams always scout ahead at the QB position, and the lackluster prospects of the 2025 class were a factor in why six were drafted in the top 12 last April. That doesn’t mean this class won’t produce high-level NFL starters, but there are certainly more questions and less conviction about this group than most years.

Knowing what we know now, if the over/under on the first round QBs is 2.5, I’ll take the under. There are varying opinions among NFL scouts on Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, but if the draft were tomorrow, I think both would be drafted in the first round.

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Where do those QBs rank for you, among last year’s six first-rounders?

There is no quarterback in this class with a grade comparable to last year’s top three (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye). I have yet to find an NFL evaluator who disagrees.

If we combine last year’s quarterbacks with this year’s, the debate starts at QB4. My grade on JJ McCarthy would be higher than any prospect in the class of 2025. For me, Ward and Sanders join the discussion at QB5, along with Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr.

This is a good chance to highlight three important factors to keep in mind when talking about quarterback prospects:

First off, there’s no such thing as consensus when it comes to stacking the quarterbacks. One team’s QB1 can be another team’s QB4 and vice versa, especially in this draft class. Varied QB draft boards are much more common than most think.

Second, drafting a quarterback in the top 10 is as much (if not more) an ownership decision as it is a GM or coaching decision. Owners can also easily be influenced by unimportant factors.

Finally, where a QB is drafted (the team and its offensive infrastructure) drastically impacts hit/bust rate. Many teams had Day 2 draft grades for Nix, but Broncos coach Sean Payton had a vision for the rookie in his system, and Broncos fans are understandably optimistic based on the early returns.

Sermon over. Amen.

This was probably our longest live room ever. There is a lot to discuss. Listen to the recording here:

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) November 25, 2024

Who do you think would be the best fit for the Giants in this draft class and why?

If the Giants are going to roll the dice on one of these quarterbacks, I think Ward makes sense.

With his arm talent and elusiveness in the pocket, Ward is an exciting player who can keep the game alive and swing the ball to every inch of the field. The looseness in his game is a double-edged sword that allows him to improvise and create, but it also leads to turnover-worthy decisions and unnecessary sacks. And that won’t change overnight. Sign an experienced starter and let the rookie develop at his own pace without forcing him onto the field.

The progress has been impressive, however, as Ward has gone from a wing-T attack in high school to the strict air raid systems at Incarnate Word and Washington State and is now part of a more diversified air raid program in Miami. I think Ward’s first NFL playing days will be a bumpy ride as he adjusts to the NFL speed, but I also think he has the mental toughness to ultimately become a better player as a result if the organization remains patient.

How much do you value the idea of having the right temperament to play QB in New York?

There’s no mistaking the differences between some NFL cities. Different fan bases, different media attention, different expectations. It’s also fair to say that some places have more distractions outside the football building than others – just ask Sam Darnold. Nightlife in Green Bay is a little different than New York.

That said, I don’t think Ward or Sanders would be a bad fit with some of the external factors that come with being a starting quarterback in New York. Ward has a reserved personality, but NFL scouts describe him as “ultra-competitive” and “confidently smart.” Like his father, Sanders’ self-confidence could easily be mistaken for arrogance. But he doesn’t let outside pressure hinder his play on the court, and his Colorado teammates love him. Understanding how a QB is connected is both the most important and challenging step of the evaluation.

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If the Giants pass on a QB in the first round, is there a mid-round QB you like most? And if the Giants don’t land a QB, any early thoughts on the class of 2026?

Let’s say the Giants don’t like these top 10 quarterbacks or the QB they like isn’t on the board. An intriguing option could be Jalen Milroe on Day 2. Few teams are more familiar with Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense. , and New York could try to recreate that model. Like Hurts, Milroe is well built at 6-1 and 225 pounds and brings a dual-threat element to the field. His placement and touch are still being developed, which is why he could still be there on Day 2. But he is also much faster than Hurts and has a stronger arm. Investing in a uniquely talented player like Milroe requires an all-in commitment, which is why he won’t be a good fit for every organization. However, with its rare properties and mental condition, it is one of many options that need to be discussed.

If the Giants wait until the 2026 NFL Draft, premature “Arch Manning to New York” shots will be rampant. We’ve barely seen Manning on the court yet and there’s a good chance he stays in Austin for his senior season, so there are some holes in that plan. But perhaps Nussmeier or Allar will have a Joe Burrow- or Jayden Daniels-like rise as seniors when they return to school next season and jump to the top of the draft.