Why being future Giants QB has Jaxson Dart 'exactly' where he wants to be

Leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterback Jaxson Dart was linked with clubs such as the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

However, none of those teams selected Dart before the New York Giants traded up to make him the draft's 25th overall pick. 

During the latest edition of the "Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard" podcast, Dart opened up about landing with the Giants, who have only one playoff victory (January 2023) since their Super Bowl XLVI win over the New England Patriots on Feb. 5, 2012.

"This is a place where everybody just wants to win," Dart said about playing home games in the country's largest sports market. "They want to be the top of everything, and as a competitor, that’s exactly where I want to be. I want that expectation for myself and everybody around me. An environment like that helps me play to my potential." 

There are multiple reasons to believe Dart truly wanted to embrace the challenge of helping the Giants return to winning ways. Leading up to the draft, he seemed excited about the thought of possibly following in the footsteps of Eli Manning as an Ole Miss quarterback who could eventually guide the Giants to glory. Dart already had a longtime relationship with the Manning family before the draft, and the first-year pro said shortly after he was drafted that he "couldn't ask for a better resource than" the Giants legend who twice earned Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award honors during his stint with the franchise. 

While Dart should spend the Giants' summer break working on learning a new offense, it sounds like he could also make the occasional visit to Yankee Stadium. 

"My favorite athlete growing up was Derek Jeter," Dart added during the podcast. "I have a few jerseys of his from growing up, and I was able to get a signed ball from him after my senior season before I got drafted."

Dart is on track to begin the upcoming NFL campaign as Russell Wilson's primary backup, but some believe the rookie could become the Giants' QB1 before Halloween. If Dart reaches what many feel is his full potential, he could prove to be the long-term replacement for Manning that Big Blue has been searching for since 2020.