The New York Giants are still in search of a quarterback of the future, despite signing a pair of veterans in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason. Reports indicate that the Giants would like to land a quarterback at some point in the first 34 picks of this year’s NFL Draft. That quarterback could be Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss.
Giants could trade up for Jaxson Dart in the 1st round
It seems unlikely at this point that the Giants will spend the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft on a quarterback. Their interest in Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has seemingly cooled, which should prompt them to take one of Penn State’s Abdul Carter or Colorado’s Travis Hunter with their first pick. However, they could be interested in trading up to make a second selection on Thursday night.
According to Connor Hughes of SNY, the Giants could aim to trade up from their second-round pick, No. 34 overall, to land Dart, in the back end of the first round:
“Jaxson Dart is a name to watch for the Giants as a trade-up option on Thursday,” Hughes reported on X. “Sources I touched base with said he’s someone Brian Daboll is high on — most out of QBs other than Cam Ward. Among qualities Daboll values in QBs is toughness. Dart has that. Giants won’t be alone in QB pursuit, though. Matter of how aggressive they want to be.”
Competing with the Giants to land Dart could be the New Orleans Saints. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints have already made exploratory calls about trading up in the second round. They pick No. 40 overall in this year’s draft. The only way for the Giants to secure Dart could be to move up into the first round, preventing the Saints from jumping them in the draft order.
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Dart has the tools and traits to be a successful quarterback at the next level. The 21-year-old could be an ideal candidate to sit behind Wilson and Winston and grow for a year or so before taking over as a starting quarterback. He has the requisite arm strength and mobility for the next level. In 2024, Dart threw for an SEC-leading 4,279 and a 69.3% completion rate, paired with a 29-6 TD-INT ratio.
The Giants are looking for a long-term answer at the quarterback position with Wilson, 36, and Winston, 31, tied to one and two-year deals, respectively. How aggressive they get on draft night could ultimately determine which quarterback they wind up with.
