Quarterback Daniel Jones and rookie offensive tackle Andrew Thomas may have more in common than simply being first round draft picks of the New York Giants.
Apparently, Jones and Thomas had a common teammate who knows both players well and believes the two will hit it off with the Giants.
“I think they’ll be two people that really get along well together. I actually told Daniel this yesterday, because he called me and asked me how Andrew is,” Deon Jackson told the Daily News on a Zoom call. “I think they have matching personalities. They’re pretty laid back, both of them. I feel like they’ll connect on the field and off the field.”
Deon Jackson, a running back, played on the same high school team as Thomas (Pace Academy in Atlanta) before heading to Duke where Jones was the Blue Devils’ quarterback.
Jackson not only noted his two friends’ passion for the game of football, but also their knowledge and football acumen.
“They both pretty much know what’s coming on the field before it even happens,” Jackson said. “Daniel did it a lot in college. He always knew what was coming before the ball was snapped. He could always tell what was coming. He and I talked a lot on the field. My being in the backfield, he always let me know a lot of things since I was so young.
“And Andrew,” Jackson continued, “he always knows what looks you’re gonna throw at him, what blitz is coming. He always sees everything before it happens. That’s why he rarely gets beat. So I feel like those two being in the huddle together, they are two smart individuals who are gonna read a lot of defenses and make a lot of plays together.”
It’s no wonder both are Giants today. General manager Dave Gettleman not only evaluates what a player has below the shoulders but above it, too.
The Jones connection is not the only one Thomas has in the Giants’ locker room. He was college teammates at Georgia with one of the Giants’ first-round draft picks form last year’s class, cornerback DeAndre Baker, and linebacker Lorenzo Carter, a third-round selection in 2018.
“I really didn’t know where I was going to end up. But when they made the call, I was obviously excited. I’m ready to get to work and get down to New York,” Thomas told reporters via conference call after he was selected on Thursday night.
Thomas is prepared to do his part in helping the Giants’ last two No. 1 picks — Jones and running back Saquon Barkley — take the team’s offense to the next level.
“I’ll do my best to protect the quarterback, open up lanes. It’s a blessing to be able to play with guys as talented as they are,” Thomas said.
[lawrence-related id=646136,646154,646147]