NFL Insider Reveals 3 Teams That Were in the Hunt for Jaxson Dart Before Giants Drafted Him

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 1:18 PM ET

Key Points

Jaxson Dart was drafted No. 25 overall by the New York Giants.
NFL insider Dianna Russini revealed three teams that showed interest in Dart leading up to the draft.
The Giants are coming off a 34-17 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on "Thursday Night Football."

The New York Giants drafted quarterback Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 overall pick. After serving as a backup for the first three games of the season behind Russell Wilson, Giants head coach Brian Daboll named Dart the starter.

Since then, the team is 2-1, including a 34-17 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on "Thursday Night Football."

While Dart now holds the keys to the franchise in New York at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future, it raises the question: which other teams were showing interest in him leading up to draft day?

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart during an NFL game.Mark Smith-Imagn ImagesMark Smith-Imagn Images

On Saturday, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic revealed the three teams that showed serious interest in Dart were the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns—all of whom drafted rookie quarterbacks.

The Saints, Steelers, and Browns all showed interest in Jaxson Dart leading up to the draft.

But the Giants knew they had to get their guy. And now, New York is believing in its young nucleus — led by the Ole Miss QB.https://t.co/UuF6sTY8hX pic.twitter.com/SStVvK0j0a
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 11, 2025

Pittsburgh selected Will Howard in the sixth round, the Saints chose Tyler Shough in the second round, and the Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.

Currently, among that group, only Jaxson Dart and Dillon Gabriel have worked their way into starting roles. Gabriel is set for his second career start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Following the Browns’ trade of veteran QB Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals this week, Shedeur Sanders has moved into the backup role.

Meanwhile, Tyler Shough serves as the second-string quarterback behind Spencer Rattler, and Will Howard, who began the year on Injured Reserve, is currently listed as the third quarterback on Pittsburgh’s depth chart behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.

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

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