Sam Darnold is looking out for fellow quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones was selected by the Giants with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, a slot the NFL community found surprising. While public approval of the pick may still be at a minimum, the Giants obviously have high expectation for the rookie gunslinger.
Darnold, entering his second season, knows what it’s like to face all that pressure after the Jets picked him third overall a year ago. So when Darnold offered Jones advice on being a rookie quarterback in New York in a Q&A with The New York Post’s Steve Serby, he was speaking from experience.
Q: What advice would you have for Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones?
A: Just that. If I were to say anything to Daniel, I’d just say, “Keep your head down and work, and be yourself, because if you do that, no one’s gonna say anything about you, and if you don’t make headlines, you’ll be all right.” (chuckle)
Darnold and Jones were different stories when they entered their draft classes. Darnold could’ve potentially been the No. 1 overall pick, while there was a chance Jones fell out of the first round. Darnold ended up falling down to the Jets at No. 3 and Jones landed at No. 6 with the Giants.
Darnold doesn’t want to see Jones be a bust. He wants him to do well for the Giants. Obviously, when they’re competing against one another he probably doesn’t want him to perform too well. But in New York the rivalry between the Jets and Giants isn’t bitter among the players, so they want to see each other succeed.
