TBH, I’ve never thought Jaques was a very good driver. His WDC came driving probably the most technologically advanced car ever built. After that, he really didn’t do much. Saying Ricciardo’s image has kept him in F1 carries some irony with it.
Edit: I probably overstated it before. Jacques isn’t a bad driver. I just never thought his talent warranted the amount of praise he got. I see a lot of similarities between him and Ricciardo. Both are/were “good enough.” I think Daniel is probably more talented, though.