Giants' rumored OC frontrunner just put the cherry on top of John Harbaugh hire

At the eleventh hour, the New York Giants still managed to make John Harbaugh their next head coach. The fanbase is rightfully elated, as there has been a revolving door at head coach since Tom Coughlin was fired, but it appears that Harbaugh will be the man to put an end to the coaching woes.

His CEO-style approach is the most reminiscent of Coughlin's own coaching style, but that puts additional emphasis on his hires at offensive and defensive coordinator. Luckily, ex-Ravens' OC Todd Monken is among the coaches expected to join the 63-year-old in New York to serve in the same role.

This is not a done deal yet, as the Giants still have to conduct a legitimate hiring process, but the 59-year-old is the clear frontrunner and will most likely land the job.

One of the biggest winners of the Super Bowl-winning head coach is Jaxson Dart, whose development is at the forefront of many fans' minds. The 2025 first-round pick shined in his rookie season, but Monken's track record suggests his upward trajectory will likely continue into 2026.

Todd Monken joining the Giants' coaching staff is the best case scenario for Jaxson Dart

In Monken's first season calling plays for Lamar Jackson, Jackson was named the NFL MVP, and probably should have in his second season too. Instead, Josh Allen won that MVP because of voter fatigue, even though his final numbers in 2024 were better than his actual MVP numbers from 2023.

While it isn't super hard to make a QB look that elite, the fact that he still did is telling. He helped ignite the Baltimore offense in ways that Greg Roman never could, and he also served as the primary play-caller in Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and the University of Georgia in recent years.

Monken also received a few head coaching interviews, but he's been a hot commodity on the OC market. The Bucs expressed interest in bringing him back to Tampa, and now that the Eagles, Lions, and Chargers have OC openings, he is expected to be among the best available candidates.

However, this is great for Dart. Monken worked wonders with Jackson, who is another dual-threat QB, so there should be no doubt that he could do the same with the Ole Miss product. The main concern was his concussion red flags in 2025, so a new OC should help him tone that recklessness back a bit.

Additionally, any OC who is able to win two national championships at an SEC school should know how to work with a modern QB. If he can win it all starting Stetson Bennett, there's no telling what he could accomplish with a signal-caller who possesses the tools the Dart does—and he's only 22.

The Giants' offense will also see Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo return early in 2026, meaning it will be at full strength. And if they draft another top weapon for him like Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Monken could be calling one of the league's most-improved offenses next season.