Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson explains excitement about having Russell Wilson as starting QB

Before the New York Giants officially began voluntary springtime workouts, Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson got together with fellow wideout Darius Slayton, tight end Theo Johnson and quarterback Russell Wilson for some throwing sessions. 

Robinson recently spoke about how such drills have him excited about what Wilson could give the Giants during the upcoming season. 

"The first time we threw, me and Slay were both like, 'This is actually better than we expected.' And so we were ecstatic about it, and couldn’t be more happy that he’s our quarterback," Robinson said about what he's seen from Wilson, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. 

Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen seem convinced Wilson will be an upgrade over what the club got from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito last season. With the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson won six of his first seven starts after he didn't play over the first six weeks of the campaign because of a lingering calf issue. However, he then went 0-5 from Week 15 through the wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Per Pro Football Reference, Wilson ended this past regular season ranked 24th in the NFL among qualified players with a 51.3 adjusted QBR and 14th with a 95.6 passer rating. Over 11 contests, he tallied 16 touchdown passes and five interceptions.

While Wilson is on track to begin training camp as the Giants' QB1, some are convinced that rookie and first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart could replace Wilson in the lineup after only a handful of games. Robinson indicated that he and others in the locker room think the 36-year-old could start proving doubters wrong as early as during New York's Week 1 matchup at the Washington Commanders.

"The way he just commanded, even just that little session of just the three of us -- me, Slay, and Theo -- it was just kinda like, we haven’t had a quarterback that’s just gonna command everything, and you know exactly what you want. So, he’s been great," Robinson added about Wilson.

Wilson won't be asked to compete with Dart, DeVito and backup Jameis Winston for the Giants' starting job this summer. That said, Wilson realistically could be benched after only a couple of bad performances if Dart looks ready for live action during training camp and the preseason.