Since Jaxson Dart hasn't suited up for his first NFL game yet, the rookie can't claim his first "welcome to the league" moment. However, with a handful of minicamp practices in the bag, the rookie quarterback can say he's quickly getting a reality check, and it's all thanks to the two-time Pro Bowler, Brian Burns.
"I don't think I've had, like, my full experience of kind of seeing that, but I've had a little experience with Brian Burns chasing me," Dart said, according to GiantsWire, discussing the speed of the game at the NFL level.
"He had a read option play and just, you know, his ability to come back and chase me down was kind of crazy."
No player in Dart's position would truly enter the big league and expect the game to be at the same speed as the college level, but it's clearly not taking long for Dart to find out just how much of a difference there is.
Burns is a good test for a young guy like Dart. After collecting three seasons of NCAA experience at Florida State, the linebacker entered the NFL as the 16th overall pick in the 2019 Draft. He spent all but one of his first six seasons playing for the Carolina Panthers.
In Carolina, Burns played 80 games with 67 of those matchups as a starter. He registered nearly 250 tackles and produced 46 sacks over that time. During the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons, Burns was voted into the league's Pro Bowl game. During the 2023 season, which served as his final in Carolina, Burns picked up 50 tackles and eight sacks. Carolina wanted Burns on the franchise tag. They ended up trading him to the Giants eight days after tagging him.
New York rewarded Burns with a five-year deal. After getting paid the big bucks, the veteran appeared in 17 games in 2024. He racked up another 8.5 sacks and 71 tackles. The Giants hope that Burns can continue to keep up his high level of play on game days and in practice, where he's challenging a youngster like Dart.
Following a four-season run in the NCAA, which included one season with USC and the rest at Ole Miss, Dart enters the New York market with expectations of eventually taking over as the franchise quarterback of the Giants. Since Dart trails two seasoned veterans on the depth chart, offseason practices and the preseason will be critical to his development this year.
Although the Giants are still building to reach contender status in the NFC, they have plenty of solid veterans around to help Dart in his early development. Burns' NFL reality check will be one valuable lesson as New York prepares for the final phase of minicamp and training camp soon.
