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Giants Coach Brian Daboll Addresses Jaxson Dart Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 1:19 PM ET

The New York Giants showed their long-term plan at quarterback when selecting Ole Miss Rebels product Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After trading back into the first round to get him, there's hope among the front office that Dart could become the next franchise quarterback New York has been desperate to find.

However, he won't get an immediate chance to make an impact, as the Giants' unofficial depth chart going into Week 1 has him as the second-string option.

New York Giants quarterback depth chart:

Russell Wilson (14-year veteran)
Jaxson Dart (rookie)
Jameis Winston (11-year veteran)

While talking to reporters on Wednesday, head coach Brian Daboll was asked about the decision, saying "All three quarterbacks will be ready to play," according to The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll.

Brian Daboll on Jaxson Dart being labeled QB2 on #giants unofficial depth chart: “All three quarterbacks are going to be ready to play.”
— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) September 3, 2025

With Ole Miss, Dart was certainly impressive, completing 276-of-398 passes for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions in his final season. He also ran for 495 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the NFL is a different beast, and it's not uncommon to see a rookie quarterback sit at least a year before seeing real playing time. Some recent scenarios include the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes and the Green Bay Packers with Jordan Love.

The Giants may not wait that long, though, with ESPN's Seth Walder predicting the rookie quarterback "will make his first start no later than Week 5... I can't imagine the Giants are too excited to cling to the Wilson era longer than they have to."

If Dart did find himself playing in Week 1, though, it won't be some cakewalk, with New York hitting the road to face the Washington Commanders, who have real Super Bowl aspirations.

ESPN BET currently places the Giants as 6.5-point underdogs. Throwing a rookie quarterback into a game with an opponent as tough as the Commanders could be a recipe for disaster in terms of development.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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