The New York Giants opened up their checkbooks by signing former Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract in free agency. Quarterback Daniel Jones now has a legitimate No. 1 option to throw to in 2021.

ESPN draft expert Todd McShay, one of the smartest football minds in the media, believes Daniel Jones is under immense pressure to play well next season after the Giants acquired Kenny Golladay. In fact, the veteran ESPN pundit called out Jones on the latest episode of First Draft with Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr.

Daniel Jones has been mediocre for the Giants

The Giants drafted Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Duke. In 27 NFL games, Jones has thrown for 5,970 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 62.2% of his passes.

A North Carolina native, Jones has been a turnover machine with the Giants. He’s thrown 22 interceptions and fumbled the ball 29 times. New York is only 8-18 when Jones starts.

With Kenny Golladay in the mix and Saquon Barkley expected to be 100% next season, Jones has playmakers at his disposal and must deliver the goods if he wants to remain the Giants’ starting quarterback. New York didn’t draft Jones with the sixth overall pick to be an average gunslinger. The franchise needs the 23-year-old to turn into a Pro Bowler.

The media in New York is ruthless, so Daniel Jones won’t get a pass from anyone in 2021. It looks like the national media will be hard on Jones as well, as ESPN’s Todd McShay has already called out the young QB.

Todd McShay on Daniel Jones: He no longer has excuses

Todd McShay believes that Kenny Golladay’s arrival in New York gives Daniel Jones zero excuses next season. The Giants have surrounded their signal-caller with talent, and McShay says it’s time for Jones to turn the corner.

“Daniel Jones no longer has excuses,” McShay said. “You’ve got one of the best running backs in the entire NFL, and you bring in Golladay, who’s a big physical receiver. You’ve got Ingram at tight end, you’ve got Slayton, Shepard. There’s a lot of weapons now around that quarterback position.”

When he’s healthy, Golladay is a stud. However, he dealt with a nagging hip injury in 2020 with the Lions and only played in five games. The Giants hope that Golladay can return to his 2019 form when he caught 65 balls for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Saquon Barkley tore his right ACL in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears and missed the remainder of the season. The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year is one of the top running backs in the NFL and will be motivated to play well in 2021 after suffering such a devastating injury.

Daniel Jones will be under the microscope in 2021. As Todd McShay said, now that the Giants have given him stellar weapons, Jones has to play better and live up to the hype that comes with being a sixth overall draft pick.

The Giants have been awful the last four years

The Giants have been terrible over the last four years. After going 11-5 in 2016 and making the playoffs, New York has just 18 wins as a franchise.

Since the NFC East is the worst division in football, the Giants are expected to compete for the division title. However, that will only happen if Daniel Jones figures out how to limit his turnovers and become a starting-caliber NFL QB.