Giants GM Dave Gettleman: New QB Daniel Jones 'Could Sit for Three Years'

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman may be in no rush to insert quarterback Daniel Jones into the starting lineup.

After surprisingly selecting the Duke signal-caller with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft Thursday, Gettleman suggested to reporters that Jones could sit and learn for multiple years: "Maybe we're going to be the Green Bay model where [Aaron] Rodgers sat for three years. Who knows? It's one of those deals where it doesn't make a difference what position it is. You can never have too many good players at one position."

Jones will almost certainly begin 2019 as Eli Manning's backup.

New York passed on Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins (50 touchdowns last season) and also left Kentucky pass-rusher Josh Allen on the board, who went one pick later to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Gettleman believes Jones is a great fit, saying: "It's a wonderful thing when need and value match. We're thrilled to get Daniel. He was up there with everybody else on our board in terms of value. He is just perfect for us. We really believe in this kid. We really believe he's gonna be a nice—not a nice—a real quality quarterback for us, for our franchise."

Of course, if Jones produces anything close to what Rodgers has, it would be a huge win. After Green Bay selected him 24th overall in 2005, he sat behind Hall of Famer Brett Favre for three years, and the decision paid dividends, as Rodgers became a seven-time Pro Bowler, two-time MVP, one-time Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer in his own right.

Manning, 38, is set to enter the final year of his contract, so the confident Jones may not be on the bench too long:

In three years as the starter at Duke, Jones threw just 52 touchdowns total. Last season, he completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has some dual-threat ability as well (1,323 rushing yards, 17 TDs in three years).

There is no getting around the fact that Jones will long be compared to Haskins, especially since the NFC East rival Washington Redskins took him 15th overall. While Jones will sit for at least one year in a perfect world, the pressure will mount for him to live up to his draft status, especially if Haskins produces early.