No one — not even Pat Shurmur or Dave Gettleman or John Mara — has any idea when Daniel Jones will get his chance to be The Next Eli Manning.
Of course, even as his easy makeup bodes well for his ability to stand up to the great expectations of the franchise and hopes and dreams of the fan base, it will be easier said than done carrying the mantle of The Next Eli Manning.
But hear Jabrill Peppers out.
“I think he’s gonna surprise a lot of people,” Peppers told The Post. “Strong arm, very accurate. Just wait and see on Daniel, I think he’s gonna surprise a lot of people.”
Surprise a lot of people, how so?
“When we drafted him, he was the butt of a lot of jokes, people really didn’t like the pick,” Peppers said. “Even when I was at the [MetLife Stadium] draft party, it was like some boos. I didn’t really know him like that, but I knew of his coach, [David] Cutcliffe. I know the guys he produced and I met Coach Cutcliffe, and he’s a Coach Cutcliffe product. I’m automatically gonna give him the benefit of the doubt. But in practice he showed me some things, some throws he fit in some super-tight windows, and I just had to look at him like, ‘That was a good throw.’ ”
So he can be The Next Eli Manning here?
“Yeah,” Peppers said, “I think so.”
Until that day arrives, Manning fighting off Father Time with a throwing guru is determined to fight off any challenge to his throne.
“Eli is so smart, he gets on my nerves in practice because he’s seen it all already,” Peppers said. “It’s like I try to disguise something, but he can look somewhere else and if they’re not on the same accord that I am, he knows … checks the play. People forget he’s a two-time Super Bowl-winning MVP. I don’t know how you could go against that, a guy who’s won at the highest level twice, that’s just not smart to me.
“I know last year people said he had this or whatever problem but … Eli’s still got some years left in the tank.”
Manning, who has been playing practical jokes on teammates since long before Jones committed to Duke, has still got some tricks up his sleeve, although he apparently has not yet switched the language to Chinese on his successor’s cellphone.
“I’m going to stay on my toes,” Jones said.
He was not spared some obligatory good-natured rookie hazing, however.
“I had to sing, I had to make sure we had sunflower seeds in the quarterback room, and all that kind of stuff, but I haven’t been tortured yet,” Jones said, smiling.
Since it was Manning who had former backup Davis Webb sing T-Pain’s “Buy You A Drank,” his fingerprints were all over Jones’ initiation.
“So, first time I sang ‘Wagon Wheel,’ but that didn’t go over great, so I tried ‘Buy You a Drank’ by T-Pain, and got a little better response,” Jones said, still smiling.
Most importantly, Manning isn’t driving The Kid to drink (or drank).
“I think Eli’s been extremely helpful for me and just being able to watch him prepare, but any questions I’ve had or any question I’ve asked, he’s been more than helpful with me in answering that,” Jones said. “I think whenever anything comes up, it’s easy to ask him and get a full explanation. For me, it’s been a great way to learn so far.”
Jones threw his first summer interception (Corey Ballentine in the end zone) on Tuesday.
“I certainly wasn’t happy about it,” he said. “That’s part of playing the game. I can be sooner making that decision, probably put the ball a little higher in the back of the end zone. Definitely not happy about it, but something to learn.”
Shurmur said he liked Jones’ fiery reaction to it.
“He was pissed. So, yeah, I’m good with that,” Shurmur said.
As long as he doesn’t punch a kicking net.
“I can get fired up on the field,” Jones said. “I think when something like that happens, it’s going to get you going a little bit. As long as it doesn’t take away from how you are playing and your decision making, I think that’s natural.”
If he doesn’t turn out to be The Next Eli Manning, buy Gettleman and Giants fans a drank.