The big story around the New York Giants community as of November 12 is whether or not the team will finally bench quarterback Daniel Jones when they return from their Week 11 bye.
Although only head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen can answer that, it’s become fairly obvious that the Giants cannot move forward with Jones as their starting QB in 2025. A-to-Z Sports draft analyst Ryan Roberts agreed with that sentiment on November 12, predicting that Big Blue would eventually replace Jones with Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward in round one of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It didn’t take long to realize that the Daniel Jones Era wasn’t going to work,” Roberts reasoned. “The Giants need a reset at quarterback, and that’s exactly what Ward provides.”
The draft analyst did acknowledge that Ward “might be a bit boom-or-bust as a prospect” but he also concluded that “New York needs to take a chance that it’s the former” — and he might be right.
Bleacher Report draft scout Dame Parson describes Ward as a “phenomenal playmaker and improviser with the football.” He also scouted the Miami product a “natural and easy passer” that can both command an offense and make “pre-snap protection calls and checks.”
Per Parson, Ward has an “outstanding arm” that can make just about every throw. Having said that — like a lot of college QBs — he tends to play “hero ball” too much and that can lead to too many “turnover-worthy plays.”
Ward is a Heisman Trophy candidate and a draft board riser that many consider to be the number one quarterback prospect in 2025. He stands at 6-foot-2 and a shade over 220 pounds, and NFL Draft Buzz analyst Felix Green labeled Ward a “mobile pocket passer.”
NFL Insider ‘Guesses’ Daniel Jones Will Never Play Another Down With Giants
One day after Daboll was noncommittal on whether or not Jones would remain as the starting quarterback after the Week 11 bye, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter told the “UNSPORTSMANLIKE” radio program that he “would guess that we don’t see Daniel Jones play another down for the Giants.”
This statement really sparked all of the Jones discussions on November 12.
Schefter said that he based his assumption off of Daboll’s “tone” following the loss to the Carolina Panthers, as well as Jones’ potential injury guarantee. Either way, he noted that he expects Jones’ time in New York to be “over” once the franchise is able to rid themselves of his contract in 2025.
So, now that it’s fairly obvious that Jones is not the long-term answer at QB, the question then becomes — how should they replace him?
The Giants are trending toward a very high draft pick in 2025, and they already have foundational pieces at left tackle (Andrew Thomas), wide receiver (Malik Nabers), interior defensive line (Dexter Lawrence) and edge rusher (Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux). As Roberts alluded, it’s probably time for Daboll and Schoen to finally invest in a premium rookie talent at quarterback in April.
That player could be Ward, or it could be someone like Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck or Quinn Ewers — among others.
Drew Lock Is Likely Next Man Up if Giants Bench Daniel Jones
Giants fans might prefer to see Tommy DeVito retake the reins, but the natural order of things suggests that veteran backup Drew Lock would be the next man up at quarterback.
“I think that when they get back from the bye, they’ll turn to Drew Lock as their new starting quarterback,” Schefter said on November 12.
This feels like the most likely scenario for Week 12, although not everyone is willing to write Jones off just yet. NFL insider Josina Anderson argued that the Giants should stick with Jones on November 12, calling him the team’s “quickest option to success.”
“While owner John Mara publicly stated his confidence in both [Daboll and Schoen] to return next season, any wise person would always consider themselves under evaluation,” Anderson began. Adding later that “any rookie quarterback potentially drafted will still take time to have a consistent and positive impact on the team” more often than not.
“The question whether or not both men will be afforded the time to wait for a new rookie’s development is still on the nose,” she explained. “So, Jones’ presence not only bolster’s the optics for Daboll and Schoen this season and their futures—I think they need him.”
In other words, fail with Jones and there’s an easy scapegoat. Fail with someone else and Mara might begin to question if Daboll and Schoen are still the right men for the job in 2025.
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Giants Predicted to Replace Daniel Jones With ‘Phenomenal Playmaker’