There's no sugarcoating that Week 1 did not go the way Brian Daboll and the New York Giants anticipated. Big Blue dropped its season opener 21-6 to the Washington Commanders. While there were some bright spots, the team failed to generate any offense, and the run game was basically nonexistent behind a depleted offensive line. This marked the first time that a team failed to score a touchdown for three consecutive season openers since the 1940-1942 Detroit Lions.
Several starters either faced injuries or did not meet expectations in the G-Men's frustrating loss, which could result in a shift in the depth chart heading into the G-Men's Week 2 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys or in future weeks. The schedule isn't going to get any easier, and Daboll's seat won't get any cooler, so some significant decisions are coming.
After not confirming or denying that Russell Wilson would start against the Cowboys, Dabs announced Monday that the veteran signal caller will get the nod on Sunday. Still, some other changes may be made to the starting lineup. That said, let's take a look at three players who could be quietly climbing the Giants' depth chart:
3 Giants quietly climbing the depth chart after Week 1
1: QB Jaxson Dart
No doubt watching Daniel Jones thrive for the Indianapolis Colts, while Wilson struggled for the Giants was miserable to watch. Wilson clearly isn't the answer, meaning Dart Vader could be coming to a galaxy near you sooner than expected.
ESPN's Adam Schefter went on the Pat McAfee Show, where he alluded to the fact that the 22-year-old's time as the starting QB is coming, which tells you everything you need to know about the next few weeks for New York's offense. Dart was extremely impressive throughout training camp and the preseason and could start as early as Week 3 or 4.
"The time to go to Jaxson Dart for the New York Giants is coming..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 8, 2025
We don't know if it's gonna to be this week or next week but his time is coming" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/CoLx2KsF3G
2: LB Darius Muasau
We can expect Darius Muasau to get opportunities next week. The second-year linebacker played the majority of Week 1 after Micah McFadden was carted off the field, suffering a significant leg injury in the first quarter. The linebacker got caught under the leg of the Commanders' running back Austin Ekeler on Washington's second drive of the game.
Before the 53-man roster was finalized, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen told the media that Muasau has a "knack for finding the football" and expressed his high impression of the 24-year-old. Although we don't yet know the severity of McFadden's injury, this tells you everything you need to know about Muasau's role going forward.
3: RB Cam Skattebo
Big Blue could not get anything going in the run game against the Commanders, and it doesn't help that franchise left tackle Andrew Thomas was ruled out before kickoff. Still, that is not an excuse for the lack of explosiveness out of the backfield.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. led the G-Men's running backs in offensive snap counts with 45, which was 72.6 percent of New York's 62 plays on offense. While Tracy Jr. is poised for a breakout season and earned the starting role, he failed to impress, totaling 24 yards on 10 carries.
One player who may not have a significant impact, but showed flashes was Cam Skattebo. The rookie running back was not productive at all running the ball, totaling -3 yards on one carry, but he was involved as a pass blocker, which led to a Malik Nabers 25-yard reception. Skatt also got involved in the receiving game, with two receptions for 12 yards, including a catch that required three defenders to bring him down.