Brian Daboll found his future QB, but he’s riding with Russell Wilson first

The New York Giants went chalk on Thursday night, selecting Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

We all saw it coming. New York's well-documented quarterback need added a layer of mystery, but Carter was always the right pick. Once it became clear that front offices just did not believe in Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart like that, Carter became the overwhelming consensus pick on mock drafts.

Carter joins a talented Giants pass rush and is the day-one favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. He logged 12 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss as a junior with the Nittany Lions. He's an athletic marvel, a hard-edged competitor and a persistent self-promotor. He believes strongly in his abilities and should translate that confidence into production under the bright NYC lights.

Then, the Giants zagged — somewhat. New York traded back into the first round, acquiring the No. 25 pick from Houston in order to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. So the Giants effectively killed two birds with, well, two stones. Carter was the best player available; Dart gives them a signal-caller to build their future around, if all goes well.

That said, Giants fans shouldn't get too ahead of themselves with the Dart hype train. It will be a while before he's actually on the field in meaningful games.

Brian Daboll crowns Russell Wilson as Giants' QB1 despite Jaxson Dart trade

While Dart figures to take over the mantle of starting quarterback in New York eventually, the Giants aren't ready to name him QB1 just yet. Instead, head coach Brian Daboll was frank with reporters: Russell Wilson is the Giants' first-stringer.

To his credit, Russ is all-in on Daboll. He spoke glowingly of his new head coach, citing Daboll's 2022 Coach of the Year award. It has been downhill for Daboll and the Giants after his nine-win debut season, but the roster is slowly starting to turn a corner. With Carter putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and Malik Nabers emerging as one of the best wideouts in the NFL, New York has the star power to start generating positive momentum.

Wilson's Steelers won 10 games last season, going 6-5 in the 11 regular-season games he started. Pittsburgh lost five straight to finish the campaign, including a deflating postseason defeat in Baltimore, but Russ was solid enough to earn his 10th Pro Bowl berth. The 36-year-old is a former Super Bowl champ with the benefit of high-level experience on his side. It's no surprise that he will get the nod over Dart to begin the season.

Here is Daboll's full statement to reporters:

It will be fascinating to see how quickly Dart ascends the QB room hierarchy. The Giants also added Jameis Winston, another proven vet, this offseason. Is Dart QB2 or QB3 when camp starts — and where does he sit when camp ends? The Giants are clearly trying to turn this ship around quickly, as both GM Joe Schoen and Daboll occupy uncomfortably warm seats. Their short-term goals will probably overshadow Dart's immediate path to playing time.

That said, both Russ and Winston inked to one-year contracts, so the timeline appears fairly transparent. The Giants hope to put together a winning season with Wilson at the commands before presumably handing the reins to Dart in 2026. There are mixed opinions on Dart as a prospect, but he's a mobile quarterback with a big arm, and he was arguably the best signal-caller in a loaded SEC last season. One can hardly disagree with the thought process.