When the New York Giants traded back into the first round to draft Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall, they made a move that felt both deliberate and long overdue. For a franchise that’s spent the better part of a decade playing quarterback roulette, finding a young passer with real upside—while not shoving him onto the field before he’s ready—finally looks like a plan with some actual foresight.
General manager Joe Schoen and the front office didn’t chase a quarterback at No. 3. They took Abdul Carter, a promising defensive game-changer, then waited for the board to fall in their favor before making the push for Dart. The decision was backed by a clear offseason vision: stack the QB room with veterans like Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, give Dart time to develop, and give him the keys to the car when the moment’s right.
That setup Dart's got in East Rutherford is already earning praise, and Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman isn’t wasting any time calling it what it is—the best rookie QB landing spot out of the entire 2025 draft class. And that's a massively important category to lead the class in.
Jaxson Dart couldn't have landed in a better situation than with the Giants
Wasserman broke down exactly why Dart’s situation stands above the rest—and it starts with the structure around him:
“Considering the adjustment he’ll have to make transitioning from the offense he ran at Ole Miss to a pro-style system, Jaxson Dart landed in a pretty good spot in New York,” Wasserman wrote. “Giants head coach Brian Daboll did a spectacular job developing Josh Allen over multiple seasons, and the Giants signed two veteran quarterbacks — Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston — to ease the pressure on Dart to start right away.”
That’s the kind of situation rookie quarterbacks and fanbases dream about. Dart will have the time, structure, and head coach who’s actually built a star quarterback before. He won’t be rushed into playing time. When he's ready, he'll be throwing behind a rebuilt offensive line with legitimate weapons and playmakers. So when his moment comes, he’ll be stepping into a system that finally has the pieces around him to succeed.
Malik Nabers just broke the Giants’ single-season reception record as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl. The offensive line is getting healthy and has a young, intriguing talent in rookie Marcus Mbow. The backfield is being rebuilt. All Dart has to do is soak it in, put in the work, and stay ready.
The G-Men didn’t need him to be the savior on Day 1. They just needed to get the pick right. And based on everything we’re seeing, they might’ve finally done it. Life could be much worse for Dart as he's stepping into an infinitely better situation than fellow rookie QBs Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders. So at least there's that.