With the end of the Daniel Jones era in sight, the New York Giants are already in the midst of parsing their options for quarterback. They’re preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft. General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll are leaving no stone unturned, meeting with almost all of the top quarterback prospects at various events, including the NFL Combine and individual pro days. We commend the Giants for their commitment to providing a comprehensive evaluation. Their approach is ultra-dynamic. It involves in-person and group meetings, phone calls, video conferences, and intimate pro-day-like workout settings.
Daboll and Schoen seem intent on developing their own quarterback evaluation process that best fits the team’s future offensive scheme. This year is a particularly crucial turning point for the Giants, as they have not selected a quarterback in the first round since 2017. In that span, the team brought in just one signal-caller from the college level – Tommy DeVito. He signed a pro contract as an undrafted free agent.
The Giants’ deep dive evaluation process involves much more than just practice. They volunteer time and energy to support their teams and schools. On top of that, they do background checks and an interview process with the player, coach, high school coach, and teammates. This all-inclusive strategy enables them to access perspectives from every direction.
The Giants have already had some of the prospects through private workouts, including former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. These sessions are fundamental in allowing Daboll to see quarterbacks work, determining their level of play directly under his watch.
“I don’t think it’s anything. A lot of guys evaluate — it’s not the right or wrong way. We do a variety of different things with these players.” – Brian Daboll
Schoen acknowledged that the whole evaluative process goes back to his and the Giants’ new head coach, Brian Daboll, his time working together in Miami in 2011.
The Giants use statistical and non-statistical measures to figure the upside potential of each candidate. Daboll described how they would place prospects into various situations to judge how they handled them.
“We have a process in place that we’ve had. This dates back to when [Daboll] and I worked together in Miami,” – Joe Schoen
With the Giants, literally scrutinize how quarterbacks do their laundry. One example is how accessible they are for booking dinner reservations or scheduling video calls for meetings. While these may sound like small potatoes, these types of tasks offer a glimpse into your prospects’ organizational skills and ability to work under various demands.
“Put them in a lot of different situations, no different than I’m sure a lot of teams do. You just got to try to check off the boxes with the things you ask them to do and touch points and people that you talk to.” – Brian Daboll
Schoen specifically noted the value of collecting detailed narrative data at all stages of the evaluation process.
In addition to their investigative methods, the Giants continue to maintain communication with the draft’s top quarterback candidates after initial meetings. This constant line of communication fosters a powerful relationship and feels players out ever more so as far as each player’s character and work ethic.
“You start to gain information and it starts to stack up. And if it’s good, you see it. If there are some red flags, then you dig a little bit more on what those red flags may be and at the end of the day, try to have confirmation and conviction on what you’re going to do.” – Joe Schoen
Even though they haven’t picked a quarterback since 2022, Schoen is still bullish on their strategy.
Homegrown Schoen and Daboll are going through the NFL’s most important and telling evaluation period. Like fans everywhere, they do hope their detailed work will lead to great things for the franchise down the line. The Giants are determined to find a quarterback who can lead the team effectively and fit seamlessly into their offensive plans.
“We have different ways to measure things, and it’s been pretty good.” – Joe Schoen
As they navigate through this critical evaluation period, both Schoen and Daboll hope their meticulous efforts will yield positive results for the franchise moving forward. The Giants are determined to find a quarterback who can lead the team effectively and fit seamlessly into their offensive plans.
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