The New York Giants had just about everything go right in their first preseason game of the 2025 season. They defeated the Buffalo Bills, 34-25, and were able to get a positive outcome out of their key players.
Related: 3 winners (and 2 losers) from Giants' eye-opening preseason win vs Bills
Two of those players really shined through in the first week, and it even made headlines across the National Football League. With two more games left to go for the preseason and the regular season right around the corner, the attention on those two players is only going to get bigger. The best part is, they are both rookies.
After saving himself with an impressive 2024 draft class, it already looks like general manager Joe Schoen has done it again with his 2025 class, especially the two first-rounders.
Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter impressed in preseason debuts
Quarterback Jaxson Dart and defensive end Abdul Carter exploded onto the scene of their first preseason game, adding a significant impact on their respective side of the ball. That said, they both ranked in the top five this week for their performances, according to Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report.
Dart, who was the fourth-best rookie of the week, was electric in his debut with Big Blue. He was witty, elegant, and had the poise of a seasoned NFL quarterback. There is a long road ahead of him to make his regular-season start, but that idea is there, and it could very well come to fruition this season.
Carter was the second-best rookie of the week, right behind Cleveland's Shadeur Sanders. In a sample size of just six snaps, including three on passing plays, the edge rusher pressured Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on all three occasions. This kid is going to be a monster and might end up being the best player to come out of this draft class. There is no ceiling for him, as he will punch right through it and propel himself into the tier of the all-time greats.
After one week of football, it is safe to say that the Giants' future is in very good hands with these two. It is all a matter of whether or not this team can win now. Can they string together enough wins right now to actually be a contending team in the NFC?
In a few years from now, led by Dart on offense and Carter on D, absolutely. But, for now, it's not clear what the trajectory of this team is. They can be the most fun 3-14 team in all of football, or they could be lobbying themselves for a playoff spot in December. There is no in-between.
Don’t look now, but Schoen might finally be figuring this thing out.