DeVito Is A Local New Jersey Quarterback Starting For The Giants

There are not a lot of good things to say about the 2023 New York Giants. After getting humiliated once again by the Dallas Cowboys yesterday in Texas, the Giants now sit at last place in the NFC East, at 2-8. However, the Giants current quarterback Tommy DeVito is from New Jersey, and his personal journey is a nice story worth telling.

Nobody expected DeVito to step into the situation (thanks to Daniel Jones being out for a year with a torn ACL) and lead the team to the promised land. To be fair, it's a giant uphill climb to ask any quarterback to perform well behind an offensive line that changes every week and simply does not block well. With the lack of a true threat at wide receiver, opposing teams game-plan on stopping running back Saquon Barkley. It's almost too easy. In fact, early this morning on live TV (GetUp) ESPN NFL analysts Tedy Bruschi and Rex Ryan referred to the Giants as "stat skewers" and "the Little Giants," due to their ineptitude this season. However, we will leave the negativity there for now.

Calling the shots yesterday, and for the near future, is a 25-year-old athlete from Cedar Grove, New Jersey. For those keeping track, Cedar Grove is nine miles from the Giants practice facility and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Furthermore, Don Bosco Prep, where DeVito starred as a high school quarterback, is only 16 miles from the stadium (Ramsey). Now, the first NFL start DeVito would make was to quarterback his hometown Giants team, right down the road from where he grew up.

"It takes me 12 minutes to get here," DeVito told Jordan Ranaan of ESPN. In this feature hyping DeVito's first NFL start, he explains how he still lives at home with his parents, and the conveniences of doing so. Sure there are a ton of jokes you can make here, but how many people can say they started a professional game for the team they grew up around, while routinely waking up in their hometown. Imagine waking up during the week, seeing a Giants poster on your bedroom wall and then going to work that day as their starting quarterback nine miles down the road.

DeVito started his college career playing for Syracuse University. DeVito started throwing passes for the Orange in 2018, before taking over in 2019. The pandemic circumstances allowed for another year of eligibility. For DeVito's final college season, he transferred to the University of Illinois, where he would again start at quarterback.

The underdog role does not stop here. DeVito was not drafted last April. He was signed as an undrafted rookie by the Giants just seven months ago. In fact, he was waived by the team at the end of August. After being re-signed to the practice squad, DeVito earned his chance when backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor went on injured reserve.

Sure, football, and the NFL, is a numbers game. Fans care about thrilling performances, touchdowns, and mostly, winning. This story, for the time being, deserves a pause on that for a moment. DeVito, who enters this week as the Giants starting quarterback again, is living every young Giants' fan dream. That is worth applauding.

Well, this has certainly been a nightmare season for the New York Giants so far. The harsh reality is that Daniel Jones is out for a full year with a very unfortunate knee injury. Now, we are left with pondering what the possible quarterback scenarios for the Giants could be in 2024.

2023 was expected to be a year of growth, with a playoff push seeming like a very reasonable goal. We had a revigorated Saquon Barkley, the reigning coach of the year Brian Daboll, and a now $40-million-a-year franchise guy in Daniel Jones.

To put the first half of this season in perspective, after nine games so far, the stars of the team Barkley and Jones, only played two games together. The team has been crushed with injuries. This includes the best offensive lineman on Big Blue, Andrew Thomas. Big number 78 has barely played.

It's unbelievable the difference ten weeks makes. In late August, there were NFL analysts who suggested the GMEN could challenge the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East. Now, we are wondering who the quarterback will be moving forward.

Right now, we are dealing with an open wound. We are a few emotional days removed from the news that Daniel Jones tore his ACL in Las Vegas vs. the Raiders. Furthermore, the poor guy was just returning from a neck injury. However, there are serious questions as to whether or not Jones will ever wear #8 for the Giants again.

This upcoming NFL draft features one of the best quarterback classes of the past ten years. In addition, these players each have unique skill sets that differentiate themselves from their competitors. The NFL is a QB-driven league. In fact, without a solid, healthy quarterback on your roster, your chances are limited.

The only week on the upcoming schedule that looks favorable is the bye week. Two games still remain vs. the NFC champion Eagles as do road games vs. the Cowboys, the Commanders, and the Saints.

Still, there are three general scenarios the Giants could be faced with at quarterback for 2024. One of them includes Jones, one of them does not, and the third is somewhere in between. So, in no particular order, here are the three possibilities.

The front office has believed in Jones since they drafted him sixth overall in the 2019 draft. Just eight months ago, the Giants rewarded Jones with a four-year $160 million contract. That means three years are remaining. Yes, that is a big commitment to still have on your hands, but the the fact is, that is more of a short-term running back contract as opposed to a franchise quarterback. However, has Jones really had a fair chance yet? It's a question worth considering, given that Jones has yet to play with an offensive line where he doesn't have to run for his life. The Giants can very well want to give Jones another shot (with solid weapons around him). Jones will be 27-years-old in May.

On ESPN's Get Up this week, many NFL analysts suggested this could be the last season Justin Fields is the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Fields is still on his rookie contract. Can the Giants afford both Jones and Fields? No, probably not long-term. For one year, they might be able to get creative, however. Fields could challenge Jones (once he returns) to see who is really the guy under center for Big Blue. Where this really gets interesting is that the Bears and Giants may own three of the top five picks of the 2024 NFL draft. The Bears own the Carolina Panthers' pick from the 2023 draft trade. The Bears are 3-7 and the Panthers are 1-8. The Giants also have an additional second-round pick as a result of the recent Leonard Williams trade. So, there are pieces to play with here.

Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (UNC), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan). That's the cream of the crop of a 2024 class that is deep and full of exceptional talent. Those four QBs may very-well be four of the first five picks in the next draft. Only the Panthers don't need one, having just taken Bryce Young first. What's even more intriguing here, is this upcoming draft class also includes guys like Bo Nix (Oregon) and Jordan Travis (Florida State) who can be available later in round one or on day two. At least one of these major talents will be there on the draft board when the Giants are on the clock come April. It will be hard to pass on any of them.