Why Jaxson Dart is NY Giants' Biggest Reason for Optimism Entering Training Camp

As the New York Giants head into training camp, there is optimism about the quarterbacks room for the first time in quite some time, enough for Bleacher Report to name rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart as the team’s biggest reason for optimism going into the 2025 season.

Whenever a team brings in a new rookie quarterback selected in the first round, it’s only natural for there to be curiosity and a bit of anxiousness to see him take snaps as soon as possible. 

But there should be enough to see from Dart this summer to whet people’s appetite. He’s not quite as athletic as Allen of the Bills, but Dart has a strong arm (as demonstrated in his recent photo carousel showing him hitting a moving target perched on a boat).

Dart also possesses enough mobility in his game to execute designed runs. In 45 games, Dart rushed for 1,541 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

“You watch the explosive plays, you watch how he operates in the two-minute drills and under pressure, under duress; you see some of the off-schedule, off-platform plays he has,” assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said last month. 

“Those are things that stood out to me. His ability to kind of play within the pocket, play outside the pocket, quarterback run game– things like that.” 

Of course, Dart, like any other rookie, has things he needs to develop, such as getting through his progressions quickly and being able to connect when he has to go with his second or third read, the latter of which he didn’t have to do very often at Ole Miss. 

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.

Ideally, it’s thought that Dart will spend the year developing organically within a controlled environment to learn, similar to the situations that helped quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Eli Manning, Jordan Love, and Josh Allen ease into their respective roles.

That doesn’t mean Dart will disappear once the preseason, where he’s expected to receive his share of snaps, comes to an end. One can’t rule out Dart leapfrogging over Jameis Winston, currently projected as QB2, later in the season so that the rookie can get some live game snaps.