The New York Giants traded up into the end of the 2025 NFL Draft’s first round to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Despite this, Dart isn’t expected to be the starter right away in New York. Russell Wilson is expected to get the nod after signing a one-year, incentive-laden deal worth a base value of $10.5 million in free agency.
General manager Joe Schoen knows the Giants’ quarterback plans could change quickly. He and Giants coach Brian Daboll witnessed it first-hand in 2018 when the Buffalo Bills spent a first-round pick on Josh Allen.
‘We’ve been through this, we went through it with Josh Allen,’ Schoen detailed in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. ‘We had a little bit different quarterback room at the time, but he was going to sit his rookie year. Then halftime of the opening game, we’re getting smoked by Baltimore, so we put him in and the rest was history. So that plan didn’t go as well.’
The Bills had a much less proven quarterback room in 2018 than the Giants do in 2025. Buffalo had AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman ahead of Allen but traded McCarron before the season began. That paved the way for Allen to take over as the Bills’ starter when Peterman struggled out of the gate, completing just 5 of 18 passes for 24 yards in Week 1.
Schoen is more confident the Giants won’t need to rely upon Dart so soon. That will allow the team to develop the Ole Miss product behind the scenes and allow him to learn from two experienced quarterbacks.
‘We didn’t have a Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston in the room,’ Schoen said, referencing the 2018 Bills. ‘So again, Jaxson’s going to come in, he’s got to learn the offense. There’s a lot to learn. These NFL offenses are hard to grasp and pick up and then be able to go out and execute, so the ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros already will be beneficial for him.’
While the Giants are planning for Dart to sit, Schoen still wants him to prepare as if he will play often during his rookie season.
‘Injuries occur. We’ve played seven quarterbacks over the last two years, so he’s going to have to prepare like he’s going to have to play,’ Schoen said. ‘So again you want him to come in, develop a routine, learn how to be a pro, learn how to study the game, and then if his number’s called and he has to go out and execute, he’s going to need to be ready.’
One of the best ways for the Giants to get Dart ready is to get him reps during the team’s offseason programs, training camp and preseason. It remains to be seen how much work he’ll get during those periods compared to Wilson and Winston as they all adjust to a new offense.