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Jaxson Dart was ranked in Tier 4 of the eight-tier list of 63 starting NFL QBs.
The New York Giants landed John Harbaugh, in part, due to Jaxson Dart, who is perceived as their long-term solution at quarterback.
Yet, the jury is evidently still out on Dart, who was given the No. 23 ranking by NFL.com’s Nick Shook’s rating of the 63 QBs who started either a regular season or playoff game this year.
Dart was the fourth tier of quarterbacks and was ranked behind No. 21 Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers and No. 22 Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints and 24th-ranked Malik Willis, who spent 2025 backing up Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers.
Dart went 4-8 in his first season with the Giants, who chose him with the 25th overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft. He finished his rookie season with 2,272 passing yards, 15 passing TDs and five interceptions as well as 487 rushing yards and nine TDs on the ground.
Jaxson Dart Was Ranked in Tier 4 of NFL QBs
Dart did a lot of great things for the Giants in his rookie season. He won his first NFL start against the Los Angeles Chargers, defeated the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles and put the Giants in a position to nearly knock off the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.
Plus, the Giants did not win a game started by any QB other than Dart.
But Shook still put Dart only slightly ahead of season-long backups like Willis, Mac Jones, Jacoby Brissett, Kirk Cousins and Tennessee Titans rookie starter Cam Ward in the back-half of starters. Shook still spoke highly of Dart.
“Jaxson electrified New York in a fashion it desperately needed at the quarterback position,” Shook wrote. “But he also demonstrated a refusal to surrender that put him in harm’s way on a few occasions.
“His rookie season included some bumps in the road, but if he can stay on the field more consistently in the seasons ahead, “I think the Giants might have their guy.
Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson Were Far Down the QBs List
If Giants fans are annoyed by Dart’s low ranking, they can take solace in the fact he was still by far the highest-rated Giants QB.
Jameis Winston ended up No. 40 on the list and in Tier 5, after he started two games and put up 561 passing yards and two touchdowns and two INTs. Winston kept the Giants competitive against both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, even though the Giants lost both games by seven points.
Russell Wilson, who of course was the Giants’ Week 1 starter against the Washington Commanders, was the No. 45 QB in Tier 6 out of seven. Still, Shook reminded everyone of Wilson’s lone bright spot, his 30 for 41, 375-yard, three-TD performance in New York’s 40-37 OT loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
“Jameis Winston lived up to his reputation as a veteran backup, keeping the Giants competitive while also reminding us of his tendency to commit turnovers at the worst possible time,” Shook wrote.
“Russell Wilson rightfully lost his job before October but not before he delivered an outrageously explosive showing in Dallas,” Shook wrote. “Otherwise, most of his other struggles from previous stops remained a persistent issue. He’ll carry minimal value as a veteran backup on the open market.”
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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