It’s only the preseason, but the New York Giants’ rookie class has been as good as advertised... maybe even better, if that's possible. From the pair of first-rounders to the Day 3 picks to the undrafted guys, almost all of the rookies have made their mark — and headlines.
But no rookie has made more noise than 22-year-old quarterback Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss. The future franchise signal-caller has put together one of the most impressive preseason runs in the NFL, not just among rookies. He’s so far ahead of schedule, showing poise in the pocket and displaying the kind of arm talent that made him a first-round pick.
Dart’s first preseason game against the Bills was great. His second appearance against the Jets was even better. The rookie finished the game 14-of-16 for 137 passing yards with two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). Anyone watching could tell he was the best player on the field. But when Pro Football Focus’ grades came out, it was like they watched something else entirely.
PFF gives Jaxson Dart confusing grade after Jets preseason game
Empire Sports’ Anthony Rivardo shared PFF’s rookie grades from the Giants-Jets game... and let's just say that if there was a mark, they missed it by a mile:
PFF Grades for Giants' rookies from preseason Week 2:
— Anthony Rivardo (@Anthony_Rivardo) August 18, 2025
🔷 Jaxson Dart: 67.4 (Ranked 30/82)
🔷 Abdul Carter: 46.9 (162/185)
🔷 Darius Alexander: 56.7 (106/202)
🔷 Marcus Mbow: 55.6 (115/154)
🔷 Thomas Fidone: 49.5 (72/86)
I don't think PFF watched the same game as me this week 😭 pic.twitter.com/loTg9A5T9L
Maybe they watched the wrong game. Maybe there was a glitch in the matrix. Or maybe the eye test deceived literally every single person who watched Big Blue take on Gang Green. Whatever happened, something curious is afoot.
There are no arguments here about Abdul Carter, Darius Alexander, or Thomas Fidone. All three were relatively quiet. There’s a case to be made for Marcus Mbow, though: 31 pass-blocking snaps, two pressures, zero hurries, zero sacks. Not sure how that earns a 55.6 grade, but we’ll save that fight for another day. Still, none of them compares to the most baffling number on the list.
How in the world did Dart score a 67.4 grade? That's bonkers-level inaccurate. There's no denying PFF is an incredibly reliable data analysis tool, but this is just wrong. The rookie had, by all accounts, an incredible performance. What's more shocking than the grade is his being ranked 30th among the 82 eligible quarterbacks.
It's legitimately baffling. Dart scored a 123.2 quarterback rating from ESPN, which feels a lot closer to what the tape showed than whatever PFF was watching.
The former Ole Miss Rebel will get one more preseason shot Thursday night against the Patriots, in what’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year.
If the first two games have shown Big Blue Nation anything, it’s that Dart’s meteoric rise is already underway. Whether the advanced stats back it up or not, this guy is special. Giants fans have every reason to believe he’s the one moving forward... and that’s a stat you can’t measure.