Giants GM Expects Daniel Jones to Be QB1 in 2024 amid J.J. McCarthy, NFL Draft Rumors

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is still penciling Daniel Jones in as the starting quarterback once he recovers from a torn ACL.

Schoen told reporters Thursday he's "still confident in Daniel" and likes what the team has in its QB room:

The GM's comments come as Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been a fairly popular choice for the Giants in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. NFL Network's Peter Schrager projected them to trade up to the No. 4 selection in his newest mock to land the Wolverines star.

In March, head coach Brian Daboll offered a similar endorsement of Jones.

"We're excited to have Drew [Lock], and he knows what his role is going to be," he said to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "He's going to get a lot of reps this spring, he needs to learn our system, but again excited to get Daniel back, when he gets back he'll be the guy."

The Giants aren't in a position where they can afford to tip their hands if they consider McCarthy to be their preferred choice. That would send a clear signal to the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders or any other QB-needy team behind them that leapfrogging New York is imperative toward landing the 2023 national champion.

The draft will be the obvious litmus test for how the organization feels about Jones, who significantly regressed before suffering his knee injury.

Through his first four starts, he had thrown for 765 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Getting fewer than 200 yards a game from a quarterback making $40 million annually doesn't cut it.

New York hasn't done anything yet to show it's already prepared to cut bait on Jones as the long-term quarterback solution. Signing Drew Lock brought some added depth but didn't put Jones' future in jeopardy.

Using a first-rounder on McCarthy or any other QB would, on the other hand, all but guarantee his days in the Big Apple are numbered.