Former Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey could absolutely be used as the New York Giants’ version of Taysom Hill.
New Orleans Saints backup Taysom Hill was more than just a quarterback in 2019. He was an extremely effective offensive weapon. Hill could do it all. He threw the ball, he ran the ball, he went out for passes, he returned kicks and punts. The former Brigham Young University quarterback was talented on all ends of the field.
Hill only went 3-for-7 passing on the year with 64 yards, however also rushed for 196 yards with two scores on the ground. He caught three passes on the year along with returning 14 kicks for a total of 348 yards. Not to mention, Hill racked up six tackles last season as well.
The New York Giants recently signed undrafted free agent quarterback Eric Dungey. Dungey previously played ball at Syracuse, having been a dual-threat quarterback for them.
Through 13 games in his senior year for the Orange, Dungey completed 60.9% of his throws for 2,868 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also averaged 4.1 yards-per-carry with 15 touchdowns on the ground. Needless to say, Dungey shows flashes of the talent that Hill provides for New Orleans.
When Giants head coach Pat Shurmur called Dungey after the draft, he suggested Dungey could play tight end for them. Dungey swayed away from the idea; he knows he’s a quarterback through and through. However, Shurmur pondered upon a slightly different idea, which eventually intrigued the former Orange quarterback.
“I talked to Coach Shurmur and he was just talking to me about that [split] position,” Dungey told Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. “Originally it was tight end, which obviously I didn’t want to just play tight end. But he kind of talked to me and just saying we want you as more of an athlete. He mentioned Taysom Hill.”
The Giants listed Dungey as a “QB/TE” at their rookie minicamp this past weekend. However, Dungey worked mostly at quarterback, showcasing the athletic ability that he possessed for years at Syracuse.
“He is a very accomplished quarterback and made a lot of plays with his feet,” Shurmur said at their minicamp. “He made some good throws out there, as well. He is one of those guys we had our eyes on at the draft. We will see. I think he is a good football player. Usually there is a place on the field for good football players. We will see what happens.”
Dungey most definitely won’t become their starting quarterback. The Giants seem to be committed to Eli Manning for at least this season, with No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones learning the position for the future. However, if the Giants are able to use Dungey in unconventional ways, they can add a very effective aspect to their offense.
It worked for the Saints. Hill became a huge aspect for their offense in certain circumstances. Who’s to say that that won’t be the same case for Dungey and the Giants?
