Why Tyrod Taylor Might Just Be Giants' Most Underrated Player
Tyrod Taylor, Quarterback
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 217 pounds
2022 Stats: GP 3 / GS 0, 6 completions for 58 yards, 1 passing TD, 1 interception, 5 rushes for 70 yards
Before last season, the New York Giants were uncertain about starting quarterback Daniel Jones and his apparent lack of progression in the fundamentals of the position. For that reason, as harsh as it may sound, they always had a backup plan if Jones flopped in 2022. That backup plan was quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
After playing with five other NFL franchises, including making two postseason appearances, Taylor signed with the Giants on a two-year contract worth $11 million in March 2022 to serve as the potential bridge gunslinger in the event Jones couldn’t prove himself that year.
While the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft was able to put forth the best outing of his career to ultimately land a massive new deal, Taylor did make two appearances in the regular season, the first being in Week 4 against Chicago, when he came in relief of Jones for a couple, plays and then in a Week 14 in a blowout loss to Philadelphia.
Taylor was an ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year at Virginia Tech, where he played four seasons of ball with the Hokies from 2007-2010. By the end of his senior year, he had accumulated nearly 500 completions for 7,017 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. He also added over 500 carries for 2,196 yards and 23 touchdowns via his legs that ran him straight for an ACC Championship game MVP in his final season.
The 33-year-old was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft by the Baltimore Ravens and was a part of their roster that won Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers in the infamous blackout game in New Orleans. After three seasons there, he went on to Buffalo, Cleveland, the Chargers, and Houston before settling in East Rutherford for his second campaign in 2023.
Best Case Scenario
When Daniel Jones’ future with the franchise was a constant subject during the spring of 2022, the Giants picked Taylor off the backup quarterback shelf for two reasons. He is an experienced veteran with a resume of keeping offenses fairly viable, and the second is his reliability when called upon to take over the starting reins.
During his three seasons in Buffalo, Taylor played in at least 14 games as the starting quarterback and posted two winning records in that span. His completion rating hung around with the rest of the pack in the NFL, and he posted three consecutive years with at least 2,799 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. That productivity has wavered in the last few seasons due to being the backup for his team, but it’s in the arsenal if the Giants had to call his name.
In addition, Taylor is one of the better mobile quarterbacks in the league for his age. Last year’s total wasn’t heavy at five carries for 70 yards, but he has also busted out 427 or more yards rushing in those same three years with the Bills. Long runs aren’t out of the question either, as in 2022 alone, he averaged 14.0 yards per rush and has netted 5 yards or more in eight of his 11 seasons.
That’s enough intangibles to incentivize bringing Taylor back for the 2023 season and keeping him ready if Daniel Jones needs a replacement.
Worst Case Scenario
The only legitimate beef with Tyrod Taylor’s game is his ball protection prowess which has been poor over his last two seasons. Per Pro Football Focus, Taylor muffed the pigskin five times between 2021 and 2022, and his grades fell below 20.0 in the most recent campaign. In Weeks 4 and 14 of last fall, his two turnovers came in limited snaps, and the second one happened on his lone game snap that would have gone for 40 yards.
For some time, lack of ball protection was the biggest issue with Daniel Jones, and the Giants were able to help him improve that as of late. The same must be said for Taylor if he wants to be trusted carrying the football and impacting the offense in multiple ways when on the field.
If not, the Giants could be forced to look elsewhere for a protective backup quarterback, and Taylor could risk not finding another NFL suitor willing to prolong his playing career.
What to Expect in 2023
With only one other quarterback on the roster in Tommy DeVito, who is coming in as an undrafted free agent, there is little reason for the Giants not to retain Tyrod Taylor for the 2023 season. Beyond that, he’ll bring a good mix of experience, athleticism, and reliability to the position if it’s needed, and that can’t be discounted in today’s game.
The Giants also have him at a cheap price tag for a backup, meaning they are not sacrificing a significant amount of cap space that would be needed to sign potential players at other positions during the regular season. Add to this the ties to Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll in Buffalo and the former’s offensive system, and Taylor is a solid backup quarterback the team can rest easy with.
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