Jaxson Dart is No. 3 on the first unofficial New York Giants depth chart of the season, behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston — as expected. But if anything, this preseason will be the perfect chance for him to climb up the depth chart. It’s not likely he ends up the Week 1 starter, but being Wilson’s backup feels possible.
The New York Giants making Dart the No. 3 quarterback shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s also sending a message both to Dart and the rest of the quarterback room. The Giants have messed up their QB situation before, so making a rookie the No. 3 option might be a sign they just don't want to rush anything.
As for Wilson and Winston, they need to make sure they don't get too comfortable. Wilson probably won’t play in the preseason, meaning Dart should get most of the reps and most of the opportunity to prove why he deserves to be No. 2 on the depth chart — at worst.
Jaxson Dart has clear path to starting job if he excels in the preseason
Dart shouldn’t be worried about being the third listed quarterback on the first unofficial depth chart. He knows he’ll get the most preseason reps and, if nothing else, can show why the team drafted him in the first place. Even if he doesn't start this year, making a good impression in preseason would go a long way.
Winston is more there for veteran presence than anything, so it shouldn’t take much to convince the coaching staff to bump him to No. 2 on the depth chart with Winston as the emergency quarterback.
The Giants are doing everything right as far as their quarterback room goes. Though Dart was a first round selection in April’s NFL Draft, he was also drafted to a team with two veteran quarterbacks already on it. This will give him the perfect opportunity to learn while not having the pressure to produce right away.
In a way, Dart being named the third-string quarterback is the best thing for him. He was drafted in the first round so it’s not like he’s going to get cut. He hardly has any pressure on him. As long as he does his job, he can show the Giants and the fan base that he may be listed as the third stringer, but he’s not the third best.
New York learned from how things went with Daniel Jones. Dart now has to simply prove he’s good enough to play in future, as early as next season.