It’s often been said that in the NFL, the most important player on the roster is the backup quarterback because he’s always one snap away from having his number called.
Fortunately for the New York Giants, they have a solid backup in Drew Lock, according to a new ranking of the league’s top understudies.
Gilberto Manzano of SI.com put together the list of backups league-wide, and Lock of the Giants took a quantum leap in the rankings, jumping from 17 last year to No. 7 this year.
Notes Manzano of his ranking: “Lock kept the Seahawks’ playoff hopes alive by guiding them to a victory against the Eagles to snap a three-game losing streak.
“Lock might be suited for the backup life with how quickly he can get hot on the field. … He’ll now get to push Daniel Jones in practices with the Giants.”
What’s interesting about Lock is that some analysts believe that at some point this season, he will take over for Jones, who is clearly in a make-or-break year and has an unsettling injury history.
Lock, signed to a one-year deal worth $5 million, also has playing time and performance incentives built into his deal that, if he were reach them, he could earn an additional $2.5 million.
Lock earned a higher ranking on Manzano’s list than Tyrod Taylor, the Giants’ backup each of the last two seasons, who signed with the New York Jets to be Aaron Rodgers’ understudy in the off-season.
Taylor was ranked 14 a year ago, but this year, he dropped to No. 19. Still, he is deemed an upgrade over Zach Wilson, the Jets’ previous backup quarterback.
Four one-time starting quarterbacks, including Seattle’s Sam Howell, Justin Fields (Pittsburgh), Joe Flacco (Indianapolis), and Gardner Minshew II (Raiders), were ranked ahead of Lock, a one-time starter for the Denver Broncos who lost out on the Seahawks starting job to Geno Smith in 2022.
Rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr (Atlanta) is also ranked ahead of Lock, as he’ll start this season as the backup to Kirk Cousins.
Sitting atop of the list is Jake Browning of the Bengals, who last year stepped in for starter Joe Burrow and recorded a 4-3 record as a starter while completing 70.4 percent of his pass attempts and throwing for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Bengals, who finished 9-8 and in last place in the AFC North.
