NFL Betting: 5 Offensive Rookie of the Year Targets
Daniel Jones, Quarterback, New York Giants
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +4200
What a redemption story it would be if -- months after seeing his selection ridiculed by fans, the New York media, and pretty much most of the free footballing world -- Daniel Jones were to leave the stage at the NFL awards show next February clutching a prize symbolizing his status as the best offensive rookie of the 2019 draft class.
He would have to unseat Eli Manning first, an act that appears easy to do to an outsider but one which the New York Giants seem intent on making as difficult as possible. Manning has not been terribly good for quite some time, and there is speculation that he sees the end of his time as the Giants' starter coming to an end sooner rather than later. Manning has decided not to continue with his weekly appearances on Mike Francesa's radio show, because (in the words of Francesa) "he doesn’t like the thought of being on that show weekly if he isn’t the starting quarterback." If Jones can wow the Giants' coaching staff as much as he has wowed the general manager and if Manning and the team get off to a slow start, the Giants fans calls for Jones may become too hard to ignore.
Even if this happens, the long odds on offer do tell something of a story regarding Jones being NFL ready. He was not overly efficient during his time at the helm of the Duke Blue Devils, completing less than 60% of his pass attempts while never passing for more than 2,836 yards or 22 touchdowns in a single season.
Maybe if the Giants had one of the best wide receivers in the game to help him out, Jones could have put up respectable numbers and put himself in contention for the prize. But the Giants traded away Odell Beckham, and while Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard are solid players, they are not likely to elevate a less-than-polished performer to star levels necessary to set him above the likes of Murray, Haskins, and Jacobs at the end of the season.
Sport does sometimes offer fairytale endings, though. Two Giants have won this award in recent seasons, but it is easier for a wide receiver to flash on a bad team than it is for a quarterback.
