There was a lot of talk surrounding the 2025 NFL Draft about which quarterback the New York Giants could or would take with the third overall pick. There was chatter the team wanted to package that pick and move up for the No. 1 overall selection — presumably Miami Hurricanes signal-caller Cam Ward.
The Tennessee Titans didn’t budge, and the G-Men rolled with Penn State’s pass-rushing phenom, Abdul Carter. But general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll still needed a franchise quarterback — someone they could start over with. So they traded back into the first round and grabbed Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss.
The move was met with some criticism. Not everyone was on board the Dart Express. But they are now. After just one start, the 22-year-old former Rebel already has the Giants looking like geniuses... and it’s forcing a pretty uncomfortable conversation when it comes to the only two first-round rookie quarterbacks.
CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr even spotlighted Dart’s debut in a recent overreactions piece, claiming Dart is better than Ward:
"What Dart is doing in his one start is better than anything Ward has shown, outside of an impressive across-the-field touchdown pass," Kerr wrote. "This isn't Ward's fault, as he's part of an unimaginative offense. Giants head coach Daboll is on the same hot seat as Brian Callahan too, and he's gotten the most out of his rookie quarterback so far."
Jaxson Dart already looks better than Cam Ward after one start
Kerr acknowledged the sample size is small. Big Blue’s rookie has only one start, while Tennessee’s already has four. But Dart’s shown more in his 21-18 Week 4 win than Ward has in four, which makes this claim hard to argue with.
Ward hasn’t done much to improve the Titans’ listless offense. They were near the bottom of the league last year, and they’re dead last now. He has 612 passing yards and two touchdowns a quarter of the way through the season. He already looks visibly frustrated. His meltdown after Tennessee’s 26-0 Week 4 loss said it all.
Meanwhile, Dart just put together an electric debut — even if the numbers won’t blow anyone away. He completed 65% of his passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, ran for another 54 yards, and punched in an additional score with his legs.
And he did it against a previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers team that was supposed to give the 22-year-old fits. They didn’t.
No one’s saying Dart is flawless. He’s got plenty to work on. But it’s obvious through four weeks that he’s ahead of his fellow first-rounder. These are two basement teams with different trajectories. The Giants look like they’re turning a corner. The Titans look completely lost.
Is it fair to pin all of that on the quarterbacks? No. But this is the NFL, and right now, the G-Men look like they walked away with the better player. Maybe even the one bold enough to turn this whole thing around.