Insider compares Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart to previous Jets flops

By all accounts, New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart impressed onlookers with his on-the-field performances throughout the team's offseason program that wrapped up with this week's mandatory minicamp. 

For a mailbag published on Thursday, NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY explained how Dart differs from previous New York Jets flops at the position, such as Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg, Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson.

"Dart does not have blow-you-away arm talent," Hughes wrote. "It’s a good arm, not great. So there are things players like Wilson (who did have a very strong arm) or Darnold (a ridiculous athlete) did that Dart does not. The biggest difference between Dart and all of those other players, though, is his confidence. There’s this unwavering presence about him when he takes the field that is infectious. Stressing the word confidence. Not to be confused with arrogance. Wilson had the latter, and it rubbed many the wrong way. Dart is the player people want to be around."

Jets fans will remember how Wilson, a 2021 first-round draft pick, upset some teammates when he declined to accept responsibility for the shortcomings of the New York offense shortly after a loss in November 2022. He later received praise from future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers for "standing up and taking accountability" during the 2023 campaign, but former Jets head coach Robert Saleh admitted in January 2024 that he wished he had sat Wilson as a rookie. 

Hughes, The Athletic's Dan Duggan and others have been sure to point out that "there’s nothing Dart can do to win the starting job out of training camp" with veteran Russell Wilson cemented atop the Giants' depth chart. That said, Hughes thinks Dart could play well enough in preseason games to convince the Giants to accept a sixth-round draft pick in exchange for backup Jameis Winston if a different team wants Winston in late August.

"There have been impressive throws from Dart," Hughes added, "but most of those other players (absent Petty and Hackenberg) had moments, too. It’s that presence when he’s on the field that is so unique. It’s a lame way to word it, but you can tell he’s a cool guy people want to be seen with."

Dart winning the locker room over, similar to how Drake Maye earned the trust of his New England Patriots teammates as a rookie last fall, could make it easier for New York head coach Brian Daboll to bench Wilson if the Giants have a losing record at any point in October or November. Of course, such talk could sound downright silly if Dart produces a stinker in the club's preseason opener at the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 9.