New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Giants' stunning reason for optimism revealed

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated May 7, 2025 2:39 PM ET

In a lot of ways, this is a make-or-break season for New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the duo to win in 2025.

With the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Giants made a move with that vision in mind, selecting former Penn State All-American edge-rusher Abdul Carter as a potential instant impact player along an improving front seven.

It isn’t difficult to envision the duo of Carter and Brian Burns wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks for years to come.

Optimism Abounds for New York Giants Rookie Jaxson Dart

However, according to CBS Sports, it is another rookie who gives the Giants the biggest reason for hope and optimism in 2025.

"As exciting as Abdul Carter and his injection along a defensive line that already consists of Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence is," Tyler Sullivan writes for CBS. "What gives New York Giants fans hope is Jaxson Dart. The front office had enough faith in the Ole Miss product to trade back up into the first round of the draft to select him, and he is now the long-term answer at the position. Of course, it’s a question as to when we’ll actually see Dart with Russell Wilson likely the Week 1 starter, but he provides hope for a brighter tomorrow and heads to New York with a ton of raw skill."

What figures to be fascinating to watch play out for the Giants this season is whether Dart can wrangle the starting job from Wilson at some point, and offer enough hope that he can help win New York enough games to preserve Daboll and Schoen’s jobs beyond this season.

Otherwise, it remains to be seen if the head coach and general manager who drafted Dart will be the ones who build around and coach him in the years ahead.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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