Last year at this time, the New York Giants were heading into the NFL draft with hopes of landing their franchise quarterback.
A year later, they are hoping no more. Jaxson Dart, whom Big Blue traded back into the first round to select, has answered those hopes. He is being seen as a special player who can transform a team into a perennial contender.
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Although the Giants only won four games in Dart’s rookie season, he was not seen as the problem. The coaching staff and the defense were subpar while Dart performed magic in many a spot.
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Washington Commanders (home, away)
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Philadelphia Eagles (home, away)
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Jacksonville Jaguars (home)
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New Orleans Saints (home)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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Indianapolis Colts (road)
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SNY’s Connor Hughes recently outlined how fortunate the Giants were to be able to land Dart. If everyone knew then what they know now about him, he may have been out of the Giants’ reach.
The Giants had the third overall pick in the draft and used it on Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter after missing out on Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who was taken first overall by Tennessee.
Dart was not seen as a high first-rounder. General manager Joe Schoen worked out a deal with the Houston Texans to move back into the first round. He landed the 25th overall pick and spent it on Dart. All it really cost him was a 2026 third-round pick.
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“Nobody’s going to remember a third-round pick if you’re right,” Schoen said to then Giants head coach Brian Daboll in the Giants’ war room. “You believe in him. We did the process. He checked all the boxes.”
Many saw it as a bit of a reach and a gamble. That has all changed, per Hughes, who culled comments from sources around the league.
“Before the draft, I thought he was someone who was worth a shot,” an AFC source said. “Now, I wish we had (got him).”
“I liked him more than (Cam) Ward,” an offensive coach said. “The fact he went later was just a plus. The guy is a plus-starter in the right system.”
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“He was what you thought he was coming out,” a high-ranking evaluator said. “Tough, competitive, good in RPO and play action. He was accurate when it was defined, extended plays. There’s something there. You can see it.”
“You see guys across the league who are competitive, tough leaders,” an offensive coach said. “Guys like Josh (Allen), Bo (Nix). As rookies, you saw those traits in their game. They weren’t polished quarterbacks by any stretch, but those attributes stood out. Josh and Bo, they took the second steps when everything else caught up. They figured out how to play quarterback. It’s what separates them from someone like Paxton Lynch. Will Jaxson take that next step? You can see the guy loves football. Those guys are usually the ones who figure it out.”
The Giants are excited. They have the main piece of their puzzle in hand. Now they have to figure out the rest. With John Harbaugh now the head coach, expectations are high.
“Hard not to be fired up right now,” one team source told SNY. “Hall of Fame coach … and a franchise quarterback.”
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: AFC executive on Giants’ Jaxson Dart: ‘Wish we had’ drafted him