The New York Giants raised eyebrows and ruffled feathers with their decision to trade back into the first round and select Jaxson Dart at 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. There have been mixed opinions on this entire QB class, but Dart in particular was a polarizing talent at Ole Miss.
In the end, he just makes too much damn sense for the Giants. Brian Daboll brought along Josh Allen in Buffalo. We should not ascribe that level of expectation to Dart, a second-round talent on most boards, but his size, arm talent and mobility certainly gives the impression of immense upside. If he can put the pieces together, cut down on his mistakes and pick up OC Mike Kafka's scheme, little stands in his way of becoming New York's long-term starter.
That said, Dart will begin training camp as QB3 behind two seasoned vets in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Daboll has already removed all suspense from the equation, firmly declaring that Russ is the Week 1 starter. Dart will also have fourth-string QB Tommy Devito to learn from. (Hey, at least he actually knows some of the playbook going in.)
New York is taking it slow with their new 21-year-old signal-caller, which is far too uncommon in this era of NFL QB fever — and more notably, it's an approach Daniel Jones was not afforded during his failed tenure as the Giants' franchise cornerstone.
Jaxson Dart is receiving the patient approach Daniel Jones never got as Giants QB
Look, here's the rub. Jones' production effectively peaked as a rookie. The Giants had one (1) winning season during his time there. We can point fingers all over the place — and deservedly so — but he was not able to deliver on the hype inherent to a No. 6 overall pick. There's nobody to blame more than himself.
That said, we know context is essential to any young quarterback's success. Jones was put in less than ideal circumstances out of the gate. It's not like he didn't have a veteran to learn from, as he took the baton from a franchise legend in Eli Manning. But Jones was starting in year one, hampered by a makeshift offensive line, a consistently mediocre WR room and not nearly enough defensive support.
Dart will receive more of everything in New York. He will get to learn the ropes slowly behind a future Hall of Famer in Russell Wilson and a former top pick in Jameis Winston, whose experiences in this league are vast and of extreme value to a young quarterback attempting to chart the right path. Even Devito can help when it comes to learning the ropes schematically.
In addition to veteran guidance and a patient timeline, the Giants are well-stocked on defense. Abdul Carter has the potential to provide Pro Bowl value on day one; New York's entire pass rush is better than it's been in a minute. Moreover, the Giants have a tier-one wideout in Malik Nabers, who can ease the burden on any quarterback and grow over a period of years with Dart.
New York's brass was open about the advantageous situation Dart is walking into.
“We went through this with Josh Allen, but we didn’t have a Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston at the time,” Joe Schoen on Jaxson Dart’s development on @SiriusXMNFL pic.twitter.com/OYAB1Me5Qz
— SleeperGiants (@SleeperGiants) April 30, 2025
"Jaxson will get a fair amount of reps with the threes, and maybe you'll see him in there, sprinkle him in when he doesn't even know he's supposed to go in there, just to see how he reacts being in a different atmosphere," GM Joe Schoen told reporters (h/t Sports Illustrated). "He won't know when or why."
Rather than rushing Dart into suboptimal reps as QB1, the Giants will give him a full season of third-string opportunities, with additional reps and personnal packages sprinked in. He will also work with a network of experienced QB whisperers, from Daboll to former Chiefs assistant and Patrick Mahomes favorite Mike Kafka.
"[All the quarterbacks] have good chemistry in there right now with [QB coach Shea Tierney] and Kaf when they're talking about things, and they give their input from the experiences that they've had, and Tommy [Devito] gives input, and it's been good,” Schoen said.
It's an environment focused on collaboration and development. That is not what Jones was part of during his time in New York.
Perhaps New York has learned from past mistakes and is determined to avoid those same pitfalls with Dart. That is great news for the Ole Miss product and for fans everywhere, even if it's probably a bit deflating for Jones, who can only sit back and wonder 'what if.'