Meet the New York Giants’ new starting quarterback for the rest of the season, Jaxson Dart. This was the defining decision made by Head Coach Brian Daboll. Dart was highly touted as the 25th overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft. He’s displayed an elite skill set that has already led to a Russell Wilson-esque comparison from NFL.com. Dart’s only had a few opportunities to learn from his mistakes, six snaps over the past three weeks—all runs. His transition to the starting role, though, represents one of the more intriguing developments on what could be a drastically improved Giants’ offense.
Dart, who dazzled during a one-year run at Ole Miss, now emerges as the unquestioned starter. Last season, he was 83% on run-pass-option (RPO) plays. His previous experience in a fast-paced offensive system under Coach Lane Kiffin has laid the groundwork for an exciting style of play that Giants fans can expect to see moving forward. More importantly, Coach Daboll believes in Dart. His focus is to work with Dart programming language and develop a strategy purpose-built to leverage Dart’s unique strengths.
“Jaxson Dart’s team just happen[s] to go really fast,” said Kiffin, reflecting on Dart’s capacity to adapt to a high-tempo offense. The Giants’ plan is to make this quick-tempo style a core aspect of their on-field identity. They’re most happy about bringing Dart into the fold.
The Giants have already hinted at zone-read and RPO plays with Dart during the regular season. Observers now anticipate him playing without a huddle most of the time. This approach is similar to that of quarterbacks such as Jayden Daniels and those in the Washington Commanders’ system.
Daboll’s decision to start Dart stems from his youthful exuberance and potential, which impressed the coaching staff during the predraft process. In practice, he was taking reps with the second team. They executed a vastly different offensive scheme than Wilson and the first-team offensive unit. That experience should be an asset both as he begins and as he moves into this new role.
I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s going to be a whole lot different, but most definitely going to be different. Two different quarterbacks, said Robinson, emphasizing the change in playing field as Dart steps in.
Dart hasn’t played a ton, which raises questions about whether he’s ready for a full-time role. Despite the lack of preparation time, the coaching staff remains excited about his potential. “There will be certain elements of what Jaxson has done well, whether it was in college or high school,” noted Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka, highlighting the blend of Dart’s past experiences with the new challenges he will face in the NFL.
Dart’s physical skills have earned him some positive comparisons to Wilson at this stage of their respective careers. Observers argue that Dart has traits that should give him a leg up in terms of running plays the right way. His combination of athleticism and playmaking should help spark the Giants’ offensive scheme.
As Jaxson Dart goes under center for the first time this Sunday, there should be plenty of excitement about just what he can do for this team. An unnamed source said he’s going to be “fun to watch.” So Giants’ fans can expect to see a fast-paced, high-energy brand of play from Day 1 that should jumpstart the Giants’ sordid offense.
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