The New York Giants made the controversial decision to trade back into the first round of last month's NFL Draft and select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the 25th pick. He was the second signal-caller off the board behind Tennessee's top overall selection, Cam Ward.
While many speculated that New York might entertain taking Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, a bad meeting clearly steered them in the direction of Dart, who has a chance to fulfill some of Brian Daboll's dormant Josh Allen fantasies with his size, arm talent and mobility. GM Joe Schoen, however, appears hesitant to take full responsibility for the trade and the subsequent pick.
"It was an organizational decision," he said on Up and Adams. "Any player that we take, it's a collaborative process and it's very detailed and we believe in it."
This could be a nothingburger, but the framing here does merit consideration. Schoen famously fumbled the Saquon Barkley negotiations last offseason. He is someone losing favor in the fanbase and maybe even in the organization. He had a chance to say, outright, "Jaxson Dart is my guy," but he did not. There has been plenty of speculation that Dart was the quarterback of choice for the coaching staff and not necessarily Schoen himself.
Joe Schoen cites 'collaborative process' behind Giants trading for Jaxson Dart
None of this will ultimately matter unless Dart underperforms. The Giants, to their credit, are taking the optimal approach. Dart will get a chance to come along slowly behind two well-traveled vets in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston — a Super Bowl champ and a former top pick with tons of war stories.
Daboll clearly has a vision for what Dart can become. Even more important than confidence from the front office is confidence from the head coach. Daboll is going to empower Dart when the moment arrives, whether that's midway through this season or Week 1 of the 2026 campaign. The size and athleticism really pop for Dart, and he was the most explosive playmaker in the SEC last season. A coach who lets him loose and allows him to stretch the field, vertically as well as horizontally, ought to reap the benefits.
How this all plays out will be fascinating to monitor. New York is coming off of a three-win season and currently has one of the toughest schedules in 2025. While Russ is going to start Week 1, it's hard to imagine the Giants — even with a revamped defense — making up much ground in a loaded NFC East. Both Russ and Winston are on one-year contracts, so there's not much incentive to keep them on the field if (or when) the season starts to go sideways.
While Dart will probably benefit from an extended understudy period, there's a nonzero chance he's taking QB1 reps once the Giants are a few games back in the standings.
As for Schoen, he is in job-saving mode at this point. The Saquon debacle was a genuine stain on his reputation. He needs the Giants to compete this season. If New York can't compete, he needs Dart to show out like a future franchise cornerstone. If neither happens, well, there's a good chance the Giants are looking for a new GM when the 2026 offseason gets underway.