The New York Giants are currently staring at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and predictably, the “shiny new toy” syndrome has infected the building. With Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza hoisting the Heisman Trophy, a vocal minority is actually suggesting the Giants should hit the reset button, dump Jaxson Dart, and start over at quarterback.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a bad idea—it’s organizational malpractice. To trade away a kid who is rewriting the NFL record books before his first offseason just because he “takes too many hits” is the kind of scared-money logic that keeps franchises in the basement. Jaxson Dart isn’t the problem in New York; he’s the only reason anyone is still watching.
The algorithm often hides the most vital Giants draft and trade news; make sure you pin Empire Sports Media on Google News so you don’t miss a beat on the next big franchise-altering move.
Fernando Mendoza is the projected No. 1 overall pick
Mendoza is mighty impressive. He won the Heisman after leading Indiana to a perfect 13-0 record and a Big 10 Championship. The 22-year-old led the country with 33 passing touchdowns and added 2,980 yards with a 71.5% completion rate and 181.4 rating. He also rushed for 240 yards and six touchdowns.
This 2025 campaign has established Mendoza as the consensus QB1 in the upcoming draft class and the likely first-overall pick. But the Giants don’t need a quarterback — do they?
Jaxson Dart has been impressive as a rookie
Jaxson Dart has been everything the Giants wanted from their rookie quarterback and then some. He’s thrown for 1,802 yards with a 13-2 TD-INT ratio this season while also adding 400 yards and 7 TDs rushing.
Dart ranks third in the NFL in total touchdowns per game (2.3) as the starter. The only two quarterbacks in front of him are the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford (2.7) and the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen (2.6). This puts Dart in truly elite company and proves that the offense has been the least of this team’s problems.
Dart is also the only QB in NFL history with 1,800+ passing yards, 400+ rushing yards, and 20+ total TDs in his first nine career starts. He is also the first rookie QB in NFL history with multiple games throwing for 240+ yards, rushing for 60+ yards, and scoring 2+ total TDs (h/t @WBG84 on X).
The team hasn’t won many games this season, but it’s hard to place the blame for that on Dart’s shoulders, considering how well he has played. He stepped in and immediately sparked something in the Giants’ offense, and he has demonstrated that he has all of the tools and traits of a potential franchise quarterback.
Could the Giants trade Dart for Mendoza?
The argument made against Dart, however, shines the spotlight on his “reckless” play and tendency to take big hits. Dart has been evaluated for a concussion five times in 10 games (dating back to preseason). He missed two games this season with a concussion. Dart said it was the first concussion he had ever suffered.
Despite pleas from fans, analysts, and his own coaches to take fewer hits and protect himself, Dart has done little to change his playing style and does not shy away from contact.
This has caused many to question the quarterback’s longevity. He might have potential, but will he realize it? Is his playing style sustainable?
Inversely, Mendoza is good at protecting himself. He doesn’t take nearly the same number of hits as Dart and demonstrates a better understanding of how to avoid contact and the importance of doing so.
But the bottom line is, Dart’s talent is too immense to give up on this early. The kid does things that few other quarterbacks in the league are able to achieve.
ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers argued on Get Up that Dart would be QB1 if he came out in this year’s draft class.
Giving up on Dart for a relative unknown would be irresponsible
The Giants have seen that Dart is good enough to compete in the NFL and that he has the potential to be a winner in this league. Those aren’t easy things to prove. Oftentimes, there will be “can’t miss” quarterback prospects who enter the draft and fail to compete. It would be irresponsible to give up on Dart and trade him away for a relative unknown after just one season.
Instead of pointing the finger at the quarterback and Dart’s tendency to take hits, the finger needs to be pointed at the Giants’ coaching staff and their inability to prevent Dart from taking those hits.
By trading down from the first-overall pick, the Giants could gain a king’s ransom of assets that could be used to build a world-beater roster around Dart. That is what they should do (if the results hold and they do wind up with the No. 1 pick).
It is far too early in Dart’s career to give up on him. Mendoza is an impressive prospect, but all prospects are just that: prospects. Unknowns. The Giants know they have an NFL-level quarterback in Dart. Now they need to develop him.
Trading down for a king’s ransom is the obvious choice
This “King’s Ransom” scenario highlights exactly how much the Giants would gain by ignoring the Mendoza hype and supporting Jaxson Dart instead.
By trading the No. 1 overall pick to a quarterback-desperate team, the Giants can flip a single “prospect” into a foundation of 4–5 elite starters.
In this scenario, a team like the New York Jets (who currently hold two 2026 first-rounders), the Cleveland Browns (who also currently hold two 2026 first-rounders), or the Los Angeles Rams (desperate for a Stafford successor) could sell the farm for the right to draft Fernando Mendoza.
Mock Trade:
- Giants Send: 2026 No. 1 Overall Pick (The “Mendoza” Pick)
- Giants Receive: * 2026 1st Round Pick (Top 10)
- 2026 1st Round Pick (Mid-Round)
- 2026 2nd Round Pick
- 2027 1st Round Pick
- Elite Veteran Starter: (e.g., A Pro-Bowl caliber Offensive Tackle or WR1)
Instead of one rookie quarterback who might struggle behind the same line, the Giants could use that haul to fix the actual problems.
Drafting Mendoza at No. 1 means the Giants keep the same holes in their roster and just swap one young QB for another. Trading down could turn one player into four blue-chip starters.
Jaxson Dart has already proven he can play at a high level. Drafting Mendoza isn’t a “fresh start”—it’s an unnecessary gamble that wastes the best rookie QB performance in Giants history.
The Giants need to build around Jaxson Dart
Sticking and picking Fernando Mendoza wouldn’t just be a lateral move; it would be organizational malpractice. Jaxson Dart has already survived the “prospect” phase, delivering an impressive rookie campaign that has drawn him comparisons to the likes of Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford.
To toss that proven NFL production aside for a college star who hasn’t seen a professional blitz is the exact kind of “grass is greener” gambling that keeps losing franchises in the basement. The Giants don’t need a new savior; they need a front office with the guts to ignore the Heisman hype and build a wall around the superstar they already have.
More about: New York Giants NFL Draft
