Throughout the offseason, the most common talking point about New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was his durability and history of concussion evaluations.
It won’t be head trauma that potentially ends Dart’s season, as the 2025 first-round pick suffered a severe knee injury in Monday’s loss to the Rams. As of Wednesday morning, the Giants haven’t yet confirmed whether he’ll miss the rest of the season or if he could return far later this year.
Dart’s knee injury follows at least five trips to the blue medical tent last year, as well as a concussion test during an August preseason game. Giants fans might not want to hear it, but it’s time to re-open the conversation about whether the prized Ole Miss product is truly a viable franchise quarterback option.
Should the New York Giants consider taking Jaxson Dart’s replacement in the 2027 NFL Draft?
Longtime readers might be surprised by our concerns regarding Dart, especially after how often we criticized the national media throughout the summer for their takes on the former Ole Miss standout. Our frustration had far more to do with the lack of explanations or context; it felt like people automatically assumed Dart would continue to get hurt without exploring the idea that he could stay healthy.
So, no, we’re not apologizing for pushing back. But while we’re talking about offseason conversations, let’s take a trip back to April. Immediately following this past spring’s draft, we noted that Harbaugh went slightly against the grain by not picking a quarterback. Baltimore drafted six quarterbacks in Harbaugh’s 18 seasons, though only two — Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson — went before the sixth round.
Of the other four, the only one you’ll likely recognize is Tyrod Taylor. Seriously. The future journeyman began his career as a 2011 sixth-round pick, sparsely played during his four years in Baltimore, and signed with the Bills in 2015. We all need to start somewhere!
By no means are we suggesting the Giants need to take a quarterback in the first round. They’ve frequently been linked to receivers, such as Texas’ Cam Coleman, and we wouldn’t be caught off guard by Harbaugh and Joe Schoen targeting an interior defensive lineman that early. As of Sept. 22, the Giants only have five picks in next year's draft.
Evaluating quarterbacks has never been easy, and the three-headed monster of the transfer portal, NIL, and revised redshirt rules has seemingly made things a far greater crapshoot. Forget Arch Manning, because it’s difficult to imagine the Giants taking him even if they earned the No. 1 pick. It’d make far more sense to try collecting a massive haul, as the Browns did when the Jaguars traded up for Travis Hunter last year.
So, what should the Giants do? For now, maybe the safest play is to ride things out with Dart and hope he stays healthy in 2027. Far easier said than done, but there’s no legitimate alternative — not until next offseason, at least.
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