Jaxson Dart has quickly found himself a mentor in the Giants' quarterback room, and it isn’t Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston. The recent first-rounder has grown close with fourth-stringer Tommy DeVito during minicamp as he prepares to compete with the veterans for the starting job.
After the G-Men drafted the Ole Miss standout No. 25 overall in April, many assumed it signaled DeVito’s days in New York were numbered. But his growing friendship with Dart has added a new layer to the dynamics of Big Blue’s quarterback room.
Jaxson Dart and Tommy DeVito have quickly forged a bond
During a Wednesday media session, the 26-year-old even mentioned he and Dart watch the Peacock hit dating show Love Island together. Soon after, “Tommy Cutlets” even quipped they wanted to take a chance on entering the villa to find love.
“Me and Jaxson might go on Love Island, we’ve talked about it,” DeVito told SNY. “I can’t say we do it every night, but from time to time when we get an off day we watch it, we talk about it.”
But reality TV isn’t their only shared passion. The New Jersey native also mentioned his affinity for Italian cuisine has rubbed off on the 22-year-old as he’s been taking him to “a ton of Italian restaurants”.
The former Illinois signal-caller said Dart “loves spaghetti,” which is no surprise in a city famous for its red sauce. But it seems as though the kid from Utah is embracing what the Big Apple has to offer, while being hilariously toured by his colleague, of course.
“He knows how to eat, I’ll tell you that,” he joked.
The bond may be lighthearted, but it’s also helping shape the culture in a newly revamped quarterback room. SNY posted a video on Twitter on Wednesday (that has since gone viral) of DeVito and Winston’s new handshake.
Winston is a character. Dart is bringing personality back to the quarterback room. Add in Wilson’s veteran leadership and DeVito’s charisma, and suddenly the Giants’ quarterback group feels vibrant, young, and refreshingly tight-knit. It’s their differences that make them complement each other so well.
“Obviously, there are a lot of different personalities, as I’m sure you guys have all seen, but it meshes together very well,” DeVito said. “Russ and Jameis have been around for a while. Russ has his deal, everyone saw the handshake between me and Jameis yesterday. He’s here and he’s a bottle of energy and Jax, he’s a swaggy dude too.
To have everyone in the room where everyone is very competitive, it brings out the best in us, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
Amid questions about Dart’s development as the QB of the future and DeVito’s future on the roster, their chemistry is quickly becoming one of the most entertaining — and endearing — storylines of Giants minicamp.