NY Giants QB Jaxson Dart Among Top Rookie Signal Callers in Preseason Finales

New York Giants fans are sprinting toward the 2025-26 NFL season after watching their team excel in its three preseason victories. More than the game's outcomes, which really do not matter, the team passed the eye test in many areas, including at quarterback.

Rookie Jaxson Dart was the headline-maker, displaying strong instincts, impressive arm strength, and supreme confidence in his first encounters with NFL or NFL-caliber competition. The rookie raised the bar every time he took the field, but his numbers may not necessarily reflect that.

Dart was 6-of-12 passing for 81 yards and a touchdown in New York's 42-10 win versus the New England Patriots in the preseason finale. He also broke loose for a 23-yard rushing gain but fumbled the ball after taking a hit from behind. A few of the 22-year-old's throws resulted in drops, preventing him from having a truly stellar outing, but he still shone.

Jared Dubin of CBS Sports, despite acknowledging the Giants' drops, still placed Dart outside his top-three rookie QB performances from the final week of the preseason.

The former Ole Miss star ranked fourth, coming in behind Riley Leonard (Indianapolis), Dillon Gabriel (Cleveland), and Graham Mertz (Houston).

Although these three signal-callers all posted notable showings in their final exhibition game of the year, it is somewhat surprising to see Dart not land a little higher on this list. 

His completion percentage would have been in line with the others had his wide receivers caught the ball, so from a passing standpoint, there is not much the No. 25 overall pick could have done better.

Perhaps Dubin is docking Dart for the fumble, which admittedly was an avoidable mistake. Instead of sliding after running for a big first down, the 6-foot-2, 223-pounder got overly ambitious and a tad reckless. He got tackled to the ground and received a much-needed lesson about NFL ball security.

Dart is a competitor, but he must be smart