What Happened Last Night?
Wow, wow, wow… I am not sure what is more shocking… The fact that Jaxson Dart went before Shedeur Sanders, or that Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen finally got the chance to draft their own quarterback after three years in New York.
Jaxson Dart had been gaining steam over the last three weeks, indicating that he may be a 1st pick, but it did not seem as though anyone could really double down on it. The Saints and Giants were the two main teams in on Dart as it seemed as though they would be in a bidding war for his services if the Giants had to trade back into the first round, which they did.
There are many different layers to this that I think we should look at. First, if you have listened to New York Radio over the last 6 months. They were 100% picking a quarterback, whether it be Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, or Jaxson Dart. Then, over the last month or two, Abdul Carter seemed to be the play, once we knew Travis Hunter was going either 1st overall or 2nd overall (Cam Ward Fell into place at Number one for the Tennessee Titans). But there was still a question as to what the New York Football Giants were going to do.
It seemed as though in the days leading up to the draft that they may even trade out of the No. 3 overall pick and later in to top-10 to draft an offensive line and gain more capital to stack the team with more talent overall, because they need all the talent they can get. This did not materialize.
They ended up sticking at No.3 overall and landing the stud edge rusher out of Penn State, Abdul Carter. The Giants once again selected a Nittany Lion, Pennsylvania native, who was a born Eagle fan with a top-5 pick (The other being Saquon Barkley). This selection seemed to be the end of the hopes and dreams of the Giants picking their first quarterback since Daniel Jones. The New York Media is debating if Shedeur wanted to come to New York, and whether Deion Sanders would want him to go. What if they traded up for Cam Ward? All of that would leave the discourse…
But late in the first round, the Giants traded back into the first round with the Houston Texans, right in front of the Los Angeles Rams – possibly snaking them from their next franchise QB. The Giants traded their 2nd-round pick, No. 34 overall, along with a third-round pick to the Texans.
The Giants use this move to come back into the first round and make their second selection of the night for Jaxson Dart, quarterback, from Ole Miss. This shocked a lot of people, not only because the Giants traded back into the first round, but also because of the fact that Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback off the board and not Shedeur Sanders, leaving Sanders yet to be selected.
Jaxson Dart’s Dynasty Outlook
Jaxson Dart’s fantasy outlook for 2025 is a bleak one at that. The New York Giants signed two very serviceable quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to one-year deals that run through the 2025-26 season. Wilson and Winston, I believe, are a lethal one-year rebuild combination that would get Malik Nabers in a position to potentially be the WR1 overall. Despite this, Dart being selected by the Giants is a very good thing. I would argue it is one of the best possible options where he could go, when it comes to his landing spots, and a bad team.
Dart is a raw talent and a gunslinger, which is perfect for Brian Daboll. Daboll has been looking for an option that can throw the ball badly in recent years. Daniel Jones is a guy who could beat you with his legs, not his arm.
We forget that Brian Daboll helped develop one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen. With Daboll and Shoen getting extensions and a real shot as a threesome of GM, Head Coach, Quarterback, this is exciting. Dart has a similar skill set to Allen, but not quite to the degree of Allen coming out of Wyoming.
Even if Jaxson Dart is a serviceable poor man’s Josh Allen, he will be fantasy-relevant. Similar to Baker Mayfield’s first couple of years in the NFL. Dart is mobile, but not an athletic freak, and made good decisions his last two years in college, only throwing 11 picks to 52 touchdowns. Very good for a QB playing in the SEC. He also threw for a ton of yards, as his ability to push the ball downfield is important in today’s NFL.
The Giants are frustratingly talented in a lot of important positions. With the acquisition of Abdul Carter in last night’s first round, they have a great pass rush with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter. They also have Malik Nabers, and that guy is just an animal. I would look for them to beef up the offensive line with their other picks on the offensive line.
The talent they have is all young, which is important because of the trajectory for Dart. In my estimation, Dynasty is the play for Dart. In redraft? Forget about it, unless you are in a very deep league with a ton of teams and roster spots… It is not worth a flyer for this season. Winston and Wilson will both start over him this season. He may play due to injury, but that would be it in my estimation.
The Giants ABSOLUTELY NEED to let him sit for a year, whatever happens, happens. Let him learn from one of the best gunslingers in recent memory, Winston. And a Super Bowl Champion (Should be two), Wilson. This will be great for his development long term. I see him as an early to mid-second-round pick in dynasty drafts this year. I am jumping at the opportunity to grab him. I think he will be the next starting quarterback of the Giants, and while entertaining, much better than the Daniel Jones experience.
Malik Nabers and Dart could be one of the most fun quarterback/wide receiver combinations in the league in a few years. Let’s just hope that the Giants play it smart and do not do what they have done in the past and rush through a quarterback’s development for immediate results.
As long as the Head Coach, Owner, and GM give him time to develop, Dart will absolutely be a valuable fantasy asset for years to come.
