Do the New York Giants believe Jaxson Dart is their next franchise quarterback? That's the brutally uncomfortable question they'll have to answer this offseason when the 2026 Draft rolls around.
The G-Men are currently holding the first overall pick, which gives them some options. They could draft any prospect they wanted if conviction takes them there, or they could trade back for a haul of picks if they're not sold on anyone at the top spot. It's a franchise-altering decision. For fans expecting Big Blue to go the trade-back route, not so fast, my friends.
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You can bet Joe Schoen -- or whoever the general manager is at the time -- will do their due diligence. After all, it's not every day a team lands the first pick of the draft. It'd be organizational malpractice to cut off options before they arise.
As mock draft SZN heats up, one name is starting to separate itself from the rest of the pack: Indiana starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza's size, football IQ, and polish could inevitably force some terribly awkward Dart conversations if the Giants still have the pick come April.
Fernando Mendoza might make Giants rethink Jaxson Dart faster than expected
First things first, I'm not saying Mendoza is better than Dart, or suggesting that Big Blue should move on from its 22-year-old signal-caller. I can feel the eye rolls from the Giants fans already.
However, there is a reason the Hoosiers' superstar under center is gaining pre-draft momentum. Aside from leading Indiana to its first Conference Title since 1967 -- over No. 1 overall-ranked Ohio State, no less... objectively crazy -- the Miami native has the tools and physique scouts tend to drool over.
Mendoza is 6-foot-5 and weighs around 220 pounds. He won't blow anyone away with his arm strength, but his clutch gene, between-levels precision, toughness, and ability to eat blitzes for breakfast make him a truly intriguing prospect.
There will be a lot of fans who'll claim Dart is hands-down the better prospect, but that's not necessarily the case. As a prospect, Dart was widely considered a project coming out of Lane Kiffin's system. Mendoza projects as more of a sure thing. Player comps range from Kirk Cousins to Matt Ryan, which doesn't mean much, but is impressive. Of course, the only sample size scouts, analysts, coaches, and fans have is tape from college.
What the former Ole Miss star has going for him is eight games of professional proof that he's a dude. And that the aura is real with this one.
To quickly play Devil's advocate, it wasn't six years ago that the G-Men were rumored to be in the mix for LA Chargers QB Justin Herbert in the 2020 Draft. The year before, they had drafted Daniel Jones sixth, so the desire to select another top pick on a signal-caller was understandably low.
They went with star left tackle Andrew Thomas instead, who turned out to be a great pick, but no fan can sit there with a straight face and say they wouldn't at least consider selecting Herbert in hindsight. But we'll leave that conversation for another dimension.
Fortunately for NY, the choice to keep the pick or trade the potential pick will be made infinitely easier by Dart's presence. The 2025 25th overall pick has clearly shown enough to warrant the starting job next year -- and hopefully for several others after.
Their remaining schedule is a joke, so this might all be a moot point on draft night, but fun to talk about regardless. For now, the Giants seemingly have their next franchise quarterback already on the roster. Now it's time to give him everything he needs to succeed, starting with trading back in the 2026 Draft.