Jaxson Dart discusses possibly following in Eli Manning's footsteps with Giants

Long before Eli Manning became a New York Giants legend who won two Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Awards with that franchise, he was a top-tier prospect ahead of the 2004 NFL Draft for his play with the Ole Miss Rebels. Thus, it wasn't all that surprising to see last week that Manning is a fan of Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart. 

While speaking with reporters following Tuesday's Senior Bowl practice, Dart was asked about possibly following in Manning's footsteps with the Giants later this year. 

"It'd be a smooth transition (to New York)…I'm not scared of the big city," Dart said, as shared by Tyler Komis of 247Sports. "Not at all. I love New York. Visited there a lot growing up, so honestly that's not even in the back of my mind. I think it's a great organization. I would love to play for them." 

The Giants currently hold the third overall pick in the upcoming draft and have been heavily linked by some with both Colorado star Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward. In a mock draft published on Tuesday, The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman predicted the Giants would take Ward if he fell to choice No. 3. 

With that said, numerous draft analysts have insisted throughout the winter that the Giants would be reaching if they made either Sanders or Ward a top-three choice. Thus, it's thought Big Blue could potentially address a different position at No. 3 or trade down and target a quarterback later in the player-selection process. 

As of Tuesday, Baumgardner and Dochterman had Dart going to the New York Jets at overall pick No. 42. The Giants could potentially grab Dart via the 34th selection.

"My relationship started with them when I first got (to Ole Miss)," Dart said about his connection to the Manning family. "They were one of the first families to reach out to me. It's been special how our bond and connections have been able to grow throughout my time there. Obviously just doing events with them and then at the same time, them coming to games and shooting 'good luck' texts. Manning Camp was also an amazing experience. They've been a huge asset for me. I look to continue to build that relationship with them." 

The Giants have been searching for a long-term answer at quarterback since even before Manning retired following the 2019 season. It sounds like Dart would embrace any pressure associated with serving as a possible savior for a franchise that plays in the country's largest sports market just as Manning did roughly two decades ago.