New York Giants fans got to see their first glimpse of first-round rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart over the weekend, as the Ole Miss product took the field after Russell Wilson played the opening drive. Dart went 12-of-19 for 154 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 24 yards with his legs.
The performance from Dart was impressive not just for Giants fans but for outsiders as well. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports ranked Dart as the best rookie quarterback from the first week of preseason, complimenting the first-rounder's showing against starters (something that can't be said for the other rookies taking the field this weekend).
"In all, Dart was in the driver's seat for three scoring drives on his four first-half possessions. Dart looked comfortable in the pocket, made tight window throws, and when the pressure started to get home, he showed off his mobility with 24 yards on the ground.
His best play of the day was by far his 28-yard touchdown pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey. On top of hitting his receiver in stride, Dart completed the pass despite a defender crashing towards him and taking a hit."
Jaxson Dart haters are quiet after rookie's debut praised by NFL analyst
Sure, this was only the preseason and just one game at that but it's a much better feeling to see Dart playing well than to see him struggle. Maybe the first-rounder doesn't see a ton of playing time this year (hopefully because Wilson is playing well enough to keep the Giants in playoff contention) but fans feel pretty good about their young quarterback after seeing him slice up the Bills' defense during his time on the field.
The fact that Dart performed well against starters is a major plus too. He showed why the Giants were interested in drafting him and hopefully, when his time to take the field in the regular season comes, he'll play just as well as he did in his preseason debut.
There are still two more preseason games for Dart before the main event starts in September. If Dart continues to play well in those games, it might be difficult to keep the rookie signal-caller on the bench if Wilson isn't playing great.