Jaxson Dart's failure to protect his body, affinity for risky plays, and rookie inconsistency has soured the public opinion on him this offseason. While some analysts are bought in on a year-two breakout, others don't see things panning out for the New York Giants quarterback. After his struggles early on in training camp, some are completely out on him.
Despite taking all of the physical tools a coach could want into the biggest market in sports, Dart has somehow become underrated. Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone recently ranked Dart fourth on a list of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league.
Scataglia sees the vision for Dart in 2026. He said, "His breakout in year two is coming."
Dart is set up to make plenty of people look silly when he outperforms expectations this season.
Jaxson Dart's breakout season is flying under the NFL's radar
Dart was dropped into an impossible situation as a rookie. He had a coaching staff on its way out, a receiver corps that quickly became one of the league's worst after Malik Nabers went down, and a rookie running back behind him.
He still put up 24 touchdowns and over 2,700 total yards in just 12 starts. His passer rating of 91.7 and completion rate of 63.7% were both as strong as fans could have expected. The rookie shed most of the pre-draft concerns that analysts had put on him.
Dart was immediately forced to be the engine of the offense when he took over as the starter, and he took it in stride. Sure, there were hiccups along the way, but the young QB proved himself worthy of investing in.
Heading into his second season, he's in a dramatically better situation. Brian Daboll has been replaced by John Harbaugh. The wide receiver group has the depth that it lacked last season. The offensive line has improved significantly. The young quarterback has the surroundings he should have been given as a rookie.
All of the pieces are in place for a breakout season in 2026. Dart has the arm strength, the accuracy, and the dual-threat ability to become an above-average quarterback with these surroundings.
Don't let training camp growing pains distract you. The Giants quarterback is set up for a massive step forward in his second season.
Dart certainly deserved a spot on Scataglia's list of the league's most underrated quarterbacks, but he could have placed even higher.
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