Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, there was some speculation about whether the Giants were going to use an early-round pick on a quarterback. Given that they were expected to be off the board by the time they were back on the clock in the second round, the general belief was that they wouldn't necessarily get their next franchise player. However, based on what we've seen already during spring practices, that might not be entirely true.
The team made it clear they were very interested in what Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart could bring to their team by trading back into the first round to snag him. Aside from being a surprising decision, given that Colorado's Shedeur Sanders was still available, it suggested they weren't fully committed to the veterans they signed in free agency.
Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were brought in to presumably compete for the starting role, and while that remains true, they already face heightened competition with Dart in the mix. Because he was a first-round pick, it's not surprising, yet at the same time, it's prompting a heated debate about when the rookie should be the starter.
Because the Giants have struggled to be a competitive team for several years, many argue that he should be the starter right away. Dart has looked promising throughout OTAs and minicamp, so why not make him the QB1? Many analysts and fans urge Brian Daboll and Co. to avoid the mistake the Patriots made with their rookie quarterback, and maybe they're right.
It wolud be a bad idea for the Giants to hold off on starting Jaxson Dart at quarterback
While discussing the potential starter for the Giants quarterback this fall, Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab argued that it would be best to make the rookie the guy sooner rather than later, as he is the future at the position, and we already know the kind of players Wilson and Winston are.
Although they have far more experience between them that could add some assurance to the offense's production as soon as the season begins, there's a reason Wilson is on his fourth team in five years; his performance has rapidly declined and resulted in the Seahawks moving on from him in the first place, despite winning a Super Bowl and being named to the Pro Bowl nine times in ten seasons.
The same can be said about Winston, who was the longtime starter for the Buccaneers and is now making the rounds with new teams. Although the availability of Tom Brady was the catalyst for his initial release from Tampa Bay, his often erratic performance made it easy to cut ties with him after five seasons. He is the quarterback who is now infamously known for throwing 30 interceptions in one season, after all.
That makes it easy to suggest that Dart should be the starter in Week 1. That is what many felt the Patriots should have done with Maye, mainly since they used the fourth overall pick in the 2024 Draft on him. But instead, they chose to go with seasoned veteran Jacoby Brissett, and regretted it almost instantly.
The journeyman quarterback was the starter for the first five games of the season, recording a 1-4 record and forcing the team to bench him for the rookie in Week 6. There have been calls for Maye to replace Brissett since the beginning, which is something the Giants should want to avoid, yet it will inevitably happen if Dart is on the bench to start the year.
If they plan to make him the franchise player, or at least hope that's what he will be, it could be a better idea to have him start as soon as possible. His presence won't be a distraction, unlike it would if Wilson or Winston started, and he could put them in the best position to win from Week 1, rather than throwing them in mid-season when it's clear they're not going anywhere already.
It's inevitably going to be a difficult decision to make, and it's easy to say what they should or shouldn't do in June. But if Dart continues to look as good as he has when the team returns for training camp next month, it will be difficult for Daboll and Co. to convince anyone he wouldn't be the best option at quarterback for the 2025 season.