May 9, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) speaks to members of the press after rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Why QB Jaxson Dart Has Landed in Good Spot with Giants

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated May 26, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Daniel Jones had six years to solidify himself as a franchise quarterback and fell short of obtaining that label. But the New York Giants share plenty of blame for how they handled his tenure in the Meadowlands.

The organization failed to surround the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft with an adequate offensive line or a star wide receiver before Malik Nabers arrived last season. New York cannot make those same mistakes with rookie QB Jaxson Dart.

It remains to be seen if the offense is deep enough to inflict real damage. Still, general manager Joe Schoen has taken steps to ensure that Dart will have a more auspicious situation when he is awarded the starting job.

Beyond Big Blue's moves to upgrade the roster, the squad is also a good match for the newcomer. Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus believes the First-Team All-SEC selection is in a fine position to begin his NFL career. When ranking the 2025 rookie quarterbacks by fit, he slotted Dart at No. 1.

"Considering the adjustment he’ll have to make transitioning from the offense he ran at Ole Miss to a pro-style system, Jaxson Dart landed in a pretty good spot in New York," Wasserman said.

"Giants head coach Brian Daboll did a spectacular job developing Josh Allen over multiple seasons, and the Giants signed two veteran quarterbacks — Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston — to ease the pressure on Dart to start immediately."

New Giants QB Jaxson Dart has the look of a Daboll pupil

In today's game, when a first-year signal-caller is drafted in the first round, the clock starts to tick almost immediately. They are under pressure to make an immediate impact and lift the team from stagnancy and into relevance. This constant lack of patience has ruined promising talents.

Yes, there are rare cases of seamless transitions like C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels, but successfully developing a QB is not a process that should usually be done in haste.

Josh Allen did not enjoy a meteoric rise with the Buffalo Bills. Daboll, the then-offensive coordinator, figured out how to best tap into striking physical abilities, and by year three, the results were undeniable.

Dart is not the athletic specimen the reigning MVP is—few are—but he enters the NFL with a solid foundation. The 22-year-old showcased ample arm talent while leading the Rebels, throwing for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns in his three years with the program.

He also possesses the elusiveness that Daboll wants in his quarterbacks, rushing for 1,541 yards and 12 scores in 45 games. If Jaxson Dart can prove he can quickly go through his progressions and consistently link up with his second or third read, something HC Lane Kiffin did not ask him to do a ton of in Oxford, then he has the overall skill set to become a valuable dual threat.

Brian Daboll and OC Mike Kafka will have to maximize Dart's strengths, sharpen his processing skills, and devise a game plan that enables him to adjust smoothly. Dalton Wasserman noted that the rookie will have time to work on those things if all goes well.

But if the unexpected happens next season, the Giants will ideally have the resources to ensure that Dart gets off to a better start than his predecessor did.

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