New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson knows he's a stopgap, perhaps receiving his final chance at starting QB with the only team that really wanted him. Wilson spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a tenure that was a rollercoaster within itself. Wilson started the season injured, then usurped Justin Fields thanks to his friendship with Mike Tomlin, and eventually lost six straight games to end the Steelers season. Pittsburgh didn't want Wilson back, so he signed a one-year deal with the Giants, where he may face a similar fate.
The Giants selected Jaxson Dart in the first round of April's draft. In doing so, they put Wilson and fellow veteran QB Jameis Winston on notice. Both players were taken to add depth to a brand new QB room, and hopefully make Malik Nabers happy. The LSU product hasn't had a competent quarterback since he was drafted by the Giants.
How Russell Wilson could lose his Giants starting QB job
Eventually, New York believes Dart will be their long-term QB option – and having a capable No. 1 target like Nabers in place will only make that fate easier to achieve. So far in OTAs, Brian Daboll and the Giants coaching staff have been gushing over Dart, and specifically how he processes new information.
"He's done excellent picking up information," Daboll told reporters. "It's really good to have Russ and Jameis and even Tommy because Tommy has been in this system for a few years here. Kind of the head statesman in terms of that with all the adjustments that take place and the calls. He's fit right in with those guys. He's smart, aggressive with the football, which I like. And then the true test will be once we start with live hitting and preseason games and things like that. He's progressed since he's been here. ... He's made improvement."
Giants quarterback coach Shea Tierney had similar compliments for Dart, who is quietly turning training camp into an upcoming quarterback battle.
"It's been impressive to see the last couple weeks just how he's prepared and made the transition to becoming a pro," Tierney said. "We thought that about him, which is one of the reasons why we liked him. But he's done a really good job of coming in here and understanding what he's got to do to make himself a pro and approaching it the right way."
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport agrees with the Giants assessments, and even suggested Wilson won't be long for his job. It would be a surprise if Dart takes over for Wilson before Week 1, but Russ is on a short leash at this point in his career. The days of the moonball are long gone, and Wilson's limited mobility has gotten the best of him. Unless he learns how to get rid of the ball quicker, and can read the middle of the field, his time in the Meadowlands won't go as planned.
Is Jaxson Dart the answer at QB for the Giants?
Dart has impressive athletic ability, as well as experience in big games in the SEC. However, what Dart often struggled with what processing at the line of scrimmage and moving on to his second and third reads. Most rookies have similar issues, but Dart got himself into trouble before the ball was even snapped due to his pre- and post-snap reads. He's most comfortable in a one-read offense, like the one he ran at Ole Miss. That won't help him much with the Giants or in the NFL in general, as quarterbacks are asked to make adjustments both at the line of scrimmage and on the fly.