EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – With the NFL Draft and a chance to add a quarterback just a week away, Joe Schoen today voiced his support for Daniel Jones, the Giants' incumbent starter at the position.

Jones missed 11 games in 2023 with neck and knee injuries. He had his best year in 2022, when he stayed healthy all season, threw 15 touchdown passes and only five interceptions, and led the Giants to a playoff victory.

"When you go back and you watch the 2022 season or all of his throws in 2022, he was a 25-year-old player that played at a high level and won 10 games and won a playoff game," Schoen said. "I'm still confident in Daniel, the way he's wired, what he showed us in 2022.

"Again, did we have the best start to the season last year? Absolutely not. Anything that could have gone wrong, it seems like it did early on between injuries and some other things. I've still got a lot of confidence in Daniel."

Schoen said "I don't think so" when asked if he needs to add to add a quarterback to the current trio of Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito.

"I think with Drew's experience, he has started games and played, and Daniel's experience," Schoen said. "And what Tommy did last year, another year in the system, Tommy's come a long way. No, I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and be comfortable with that."

Jones underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL on Nov. 22. Schoen reiterated what Jones said on Monday, that the quarterback is progressing in his rehabilitation after surgery last season to repair a torn ACL.

"Daniel is doing well," Schoen said. "He's running straight line, and he's throwing. There haven't been any setbacks. Hopefully he's on track for training camp. That's the plan, as long as there's no setbacks.

"The expectation is for him to be our starter. I don't have a crystal ball. I hope he doesn't have any setbacks. He's working his tail off."

*Schoen is employing patience regarding two players who have not participated in the first week of the Giants' voluntary offseason conditioning program.

Tight end Darren Waller has said publicly he is contemplating retirement. And Schoen confirmed that wide receiver Darius Slayton has yet to join his teammates.

Waller finished second on the team with 52 receptions and 552 yards but scored only one touchdown in 2023, his first season with the Giants. Waller missed five games with a hamstring injury, but his 12 games played was his highest total in three seasons.

"We're giving Darren his space," Schoen said today at his pre-draft news conference. "We've had conversations with Drew Rosenhaus, his agent. He's keeping us in the loop. We're giving Darren space. Hopefully he's going to make a decision in the short term, but we're giving him time and space to make a decision on what he wants to do."

The Giants would likely benefit from knowing Waller's status before the NFL Draft next week. But Schoen said, "we haven't given him a deadline."

Schoen said Slayton's absence "doesn't change anything" regarding the draft.

"These are voluntary workouts," Schoen said. "There's been players since I've been here that haven't been here, and I understand that. I love Darius. Michael Perrett is his agent. He's a very good friend of mine. I understand where he's coming from, and that's his prerogative to not be here. They are voluntary workouts, so that's understood."