They traded three prominent picks to get him in the 2025 NFL draft, but Jaxson Dart knows he’ll have to bide his time before becoming the starting quarterback for the New York Giants.
That’s the plan anyway, at least according to general manager Joe Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll and the former Ole Miss passer who was the subject of one of the biggest trades in Round 1.
The Giants sent three picks, their second- and third-rounders this year, along with a third in 2026, to the Houston Texans. In exchange, the Texans forked over the 25th selection, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the pick that became Dart.
He joins a team already featuring two veteran quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. So Dart is realistic about his chances of starting right away, conceding, “This is where my journey starts. I’m sitting in a room with a Super Bowl winning quarterback …,” according to Schefter’s colleague Jordan Raanan.
Dart’s honest assessment meshes with the word from Giants brass about this season’s plan at football’s most important position. It’s a strategy set to be led by Super Bowl winner Wilson, but with an eventual end game of having Dart take the reins.
Giants Reveal Plan for Jaxson Dart After Big Draft Trade
Daboll was perhaps Dart’s biggest fan in the lead up to the draft, but he’s still not prepared to rush his potential quarterback of the future. Instead, Daboll wasted little time confirming Wilson will be the starter in 2025 while Dart waits and learns, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, who asked, “How long will that apprenticeship last? TBD”
It’s a good question, and Schoen is okay with it taking an entire season or more for Dart to get ready. The GM thinks Dart’s in “a really good spot where he can sit and learn behind a couple of veteran quarterbacks,” per Raanan, who thinks Schoen “Seemed to indicate the Giants are OK with this being a redshirt year if necessary.”
The logic here is obvious after the Giants added two proven QBs in free agency. Both Wilson and Winston have the arm strength to expand a passing game that’s been pedestrian schematically, but features some dynamic weapons, including 2024 sixth-overall pick Malik Nabers.
Wilson and Winston can stay at the controls in the short-term, while Dart acquires pro-level knowledge to go with his own natural arm talent. The Giants didn’t need a rookie starter because no other member of this class beyond first-overall pick Cam Ward, looked ready to go Day 1.
It’s why trading three high-round picks for Dart looks expensive, but he’s up for the challenge of making the deal look like a bargain.
Jaxson Dart Confident About Justifying Giants Draft Trade
Dart expressed his confidence by telling reporters, including Duggan, he has “no doubt” he’ll be a good fit in New York. Pressed as to why, Dart revealed he has an edge and boldly declared, “Let’s get to it!”
That’s the kind of swagger the Giants want from their quarterback after the generally timid demeanour of former starter Daniel Jones. It’s why Schoen made the trade after what he described as an “exhausting” scouting process that ended with a consensus about Dart on Monday, April 21, according to Duggan.
Now the challenge will be for Dart to match his bravado with gaudy numbers once he gets onto the field for the Giants. The 21-year-old threw for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns, while also adding 495 and three scores on the ground during his final season with the Rebels.
Dart has the dual-threat game Daboll likes, but the Giants gave up a lot to get a project. How they handle Dart’s development will determine whether or not this deal eventually looks like a masterstroke.
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