The New York Giants made a splash late on Thursday night, trading up into the first round to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 overall pick. Dart was a surprising selection in the first round but will enter a Giants team with the hopes of one day developing into the franchise’s starter. Here are five stats you need to know about the Giants’ new gunslinger.
Jaxson Dart’s elite deep-passing accuracy
According to Pro Football Focus, 22.1% of Dart’s passes this season came on 20+ yard attempts. He went 37 of 88, completing 42.0% of those attempts with a 47.7% adjusted completion rate for 1,517 yards (which led the country), 17 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. PFF credited him with 25 Big Time Throws, which ranked fifth in the country and third in the draft class. PFF also credited him with only six Turnover Worthy Plays when throwing deep.
Dart smashed all of Giants legend Eli Manning’s Ole Miss records
Dart will continue following in the footsteps of former Ole Miss and New York Giants legend Eli Manning. Manning’s record of 10,199 career total yards had stood as a program record for 21 years until Dart knocked it down this past season. Dart finished his Ole Miss career with an impressive 11,970 career total yards. He also set several other school records, including most wins by a starting quarterback (28), passing yards (10,617), and passer rating (162.8).
Brian Daboll will value Dart’s rushing capabilities
Across his three seasons as the Rebels’ starting quarterback, Dart added 1,498 yards (another career record for an Ole Miss quarterback) and 12 touchdowns rushing on 371 attempts, good for 38.4 yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry. He accounted for nearly 25% of the team’s rushing yards in 2024, demonstrating his ability to make plays with his legs.
Brian Daboll has always valued and maximized rushing qualities in a quarterback. Daniel Jones had his best rushing season of his career in his first season under Daboll, going for a career-high 708 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. Josh Allen developed his rushing skills as well under Daboll’s tutelage with the Buffalo Bills.
Quick, aggressive passing downfield
Dart pairs a willingness to push the ball downfield with a quick release and aggressive mindset. Per PFF, his 11.9 average depth of target in 2024 was tied for third among all FBS quarterbacks, ranking higher than that of No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. His 2.77s average time to throw is also impressive and ranked ahead of quarterbacks from the elite 2024 rookie class, such as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy. These stats demonstrate Dart’s aggressiveness and ability to get the ball out quickly and on time
Dart needs to improve his play under pressure
While there is a lot to like about Dart, he does have room for improvement. In particular, the Giants’ new quarterback needs to improve his play under pressure. His 19.2% pressure-to-sack rate ranked 34th among 56 draft-eligible quarterbacks in 2024. His 68.4 PFF grade under pressure represented a 25.9 grade swing compared to when Dart was kept clean, indicating that he struggled to perform when the play broke down.
Thankfully, Dart has plenty of time to grow and develop his game before taking over as the Giants’ starting quarterback. And he has two experienced veterans to learn from in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.
