One of the only positives for the New York Giants in this otherwise dismal season has been the play of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart, whom the Giants traded back into the first round in the 2025 NFL draft in April to get at No. 25, has injected life into this corpse of a franchise and given the fan base some hope for the future.

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So, let’s trade him.

That’s what FOX Sports midday host Colin Cowherd believes the Giants should do if they end up with the first overall pick in next year’s NFL draft.

Cowherd suggests the Giants draft this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and trade Dart if they maintain control of the No. 1 overall pick.

“The New York Giants right now would have the No. 1 pick. You trade Jaxson Dart,” Cowherd said. “You take the 6-5 1/2 Fernando Mendoza, absolutely. think Mendoza is about as good a prospect as you’re going to get.”

Cowherd’s logic is that Mendoza is a more stable long-term option since the volatile Dart “lives in the blue tent,” plus teams would give them a better return in a trade for Dart than they would for the No. 1 overall pick.

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Mendoza is indeed a great prospect. He’s bigger than Dart and has the full package teams look for in a franchise quarterback, says Cowherd.

“You will know, watching his college film, what throws he can and can’t make. It is one day of watching film, and you can see he can make that throw, that throw, that throw, audible out of that throw. He is the easiest guy to scout ever,” he said.

It’s most likely that the Giants will trade the pick, or at least attempt to, should they land it. Currently, it’s theirs if they lose their remaining three games. They could conceivably do that. They play the hot Vikings this Sunday and Dallas in Week 18. In between, they will head to Las Vegas to face the Raiders, who have the same 2-12 record they do right now.

But getting back to Dart, trading him would further alienate their fan base, which is barely engaged as it is after another last-place finish. It would also put more pressure on Mendoza, who, as the No. 1 pick, will have to break the recent hex of early first-round quarterback busts.

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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Colin Cowherd: Giants should trade Jaxson Dart, draft Fernando Mendoza