After pulling off one of the boldest Day 1 swings of his tenure, New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen made headlines for all the right reasons.
They landed Abdul Carter—arguably the best defensive player in the class—at No. 3 overall. Then, in a late-night stunner, they traded up to No. 25 with the Houston Texans and drafted Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. It was a daring move. A smart one. And it looked like the blueprint of a front office that finally had its act together.
Then—what felt like seconds later—head coach Brian Daboll reminded everyone: this is still a wait-and-see operation.
Speaking to the media following the first round, Daboll was asked about the quarterback situation. His answer was as blunt as it was predictable: “Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback.” That’s it. No wiggle room. No qualifiers. No hint that Dart could even remotely push for the job.
For a fanbase starved for offensive excitement and quarterback upside, it was a little deflating. Like, we can't even pretend for a moment?
Brian Daboll doesn't have plans to start Dart any time soon
This was always part of the plan. The G-Men brought in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency for exactly this reason. They wanted a bridge. They wanted a room that didn’t force a rookie into action too early. And to their credit, they stuck to that script—even if it’s a tough sell in the moment.
But for all the optimism about Dart’s future, Daboll’s comment underscored the reality: this team isn’t ready to unleash him. Not yet.
It’s a bit of a letdown. Fans wanted juice. Dart brings that—he throws with touch, hits tight windows, and has mobility to extend plays. And if you’re going to take him over someone like Shedeur Sanders, you’d think the staff would be at least open to a camp battle or an accelerated development plan.
Instead, Daboll drew the line. Dart will sit. Wilson will start. The Giants, it seems, are content playing the long game.
Maybe it’s smart. Maybe it’s safe. But it’s not sexy. And it definitely isn’t what fans were hoping to hear the minute after what looked like a franchise-altering first round.
The Giants may have landed their quarterback of the future. And for now, that's exactly what he is—the future. And Daboll made sure everyone got that message loud and clear.