New York Giants rookie Daniel Jones is soaking up all the knowledge he can from veteran quarterback Eli Manning.
The New York Giants set their quarterback plan in motion this offseason when they drafted Daniel Jones sixth overall. They took him with the intention that he’d eventually take over for two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.
Manning has talked about serving as a mentor and how it happens organically in a healthy quarterback room, and it seems Jones is picking up on it. He told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that he is learning a lot from Manning.
“To me, I think a lot of it is in his routine and in his daily preparation, how he prepares for practice, how he reviews practice and learns from practice. Just that routine and being able to watch him every day for me has been the most helpful.”
Manning is entering his 16th season in the NFL, so he clearly knows how to get himself ready. Jones is picking up on that and what it takes to be ready to play after spending three seasons starting at Duke.
He goes on to add that Manning’s work off the field has made an impression on him as well, noting, “The way he’ll go through all his assignments, the way he’ll draw it out and after practicing, reviewing it and watching the film.”
Obviously, the NFL is the big-boy level, much more difficult than the NCAA. Jones is no longer the best player on the field, and he needs to rely on his brain as much as his ability. That holds even more true for a quarterback.
Manning has struggled some in the recent past, although an offensive line that added pieces to go with Nate Solder and Will Hernandez should help him recover some. However, his preparation has always been excellent and he is a cerebral player. The Giants would no doubt love for Jones to pick up on those habits.
Jones also said that Manning has been great and that he’s “learned a lot” from him. The team will hope for those lessons to continue until they make the transition to their new quarterback.
