The NY Giants traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to nab Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick. The hope is that Dart can do what Danny Dimes couldn't -- become the franchise quarterback of the New York Giants.
The Giants had taken Abdul Carter with the third overall pick but then moved back into the first round to ensure they got Dart, who they strongly believe is the guy who can pull them out of irrelevancy and make them a contender again.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently wrote a great column on how the Giants drafting Dart came to be and revealed a conversation that was had between Dart and ex-NFL coordinator Charlie Weis while Weis was visiting his son at Ole Miss.
"A couple of years back, ex-NFL coordinator and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis was visiting Ole Miss, where his son Charlie Jr. is Lane Kiffin’s offensive coordinator. He was in a quarterbacks meeting, and afterward, Dart sought him out and asked what it would take to be an NFL quarterback. Weis responded that Charlie Jr. and Kiffin had the football stuff covered, but he’d give him a story on leadership.
Weis told Dart that he’d seen Tom Brady, as a young player, purposefully build relationships with players all over the roster—rather than just bond with his offensive linemen or receivers. That, Weis continued, facilitated Brady’s leadership, and it was something Dart could work on right away.
Clearly, he had."
Jaxson Dart's draft-day rise wasn't accidental
This is a fun story to read about because it shows that Dart was determined to get to this level and now here he is. Weis using Tom Brady as a guide for Dart to get to the pros also makes sense given what he accomplished in the NFL and pointing to the relationships he built not just on the offensive side of the ball is great advice to give a young player.
With Dart already showing he picked up on this advice, it truly feels like the Giants have a quarterback that can blossom into the next big thing. The key thing now is to not rush him into the starting job (unless, of course, he proves he's ready for it immediately). The Giants signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as backup plans but having them on the roster now is a big deal because it means that Dart doesn't have to be ready to go right away.
Fortunately, it sounds like Dart has done everything the right way. Here's to hoping the Giants have found their next franchise quarterback in the Ole Miss product.