They hope he’s another Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, but what if New York Giants’ second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart turns out to be more like a high-profile NFL draft bust, a top-two pick who’s never made it as a starter in the pros?
That’s the worrying comparison the Giants recently received about Dart as part of a tough take concerning his “extremely frustrating” mechanics and process. Several erratic tendencies in his game earned Dart comparison with former New York Jets draft flop Zach Wilson, as well as deposed and floundering ex-Indianapolis Colts QB1 Anthony Richardson Sr.
Both comps were outlined by ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, who believes Richardson’s “default response to scrambling is similar to Dart’s … either take a huge hit while launching the ball a few ZIP codes down the field or try to author a magnificent escape. Richardson has the elite physical traits Dart lacks, but he has been hurt more, which has slowed his development. Dart, given the hits he takes, is in jeopardy of the same unavailability.”
Criticism of Dart’s bull-headed willingness to run and take hits is nothing new, but Solak also highlighted core problems with the 23-year-old’s makeup as a passer.
Specifically, Solak compared Dart to Wilson, who “is another quarterback who has never been able to settle his feet against pressure and accordingly makes pockets messier. Wilson, like Dart, has trusted his arm too much to make his poor feet right.”
It isn’t the first time this offseason Dart’s ability to handle the nuances of playing quarterback has been questioned. Yet, Solak’s less-than flattering appraisal is the toughest to date and underlines how much work a new coaching staff faces to improve the player most important to the Giants’ latest rebuild.
Fortunately, a lot of that work is already underway, offering hope Dart’s rough introduction to the NFL will only be the footnote in a more successful career than Wilson’s.
Jaxson Dart Taken to Task for Bad Habits
Solak pulled no punches when breaking down Dart’s faults, both in and out of the pocket. In particular, Solak focused his ire on how “Dart is an extremely frustrating watch. He has very little consistency to his process as a thrower and a pocket manager. His feet are frequently disconnected from the ground, which affects the timing of his throws and delays his reaction to pressure. His lower-body mechanics change willy-nilly, and he often looks like a kid alone on a basketball court attempting pretend buzzer-beaters, lurching to launch from odd angles for no apparent reason.”
GettyDart has been slammed for dodgy mechanics and questionable decisions as a passer.
This is one of the more blunt assessments of where Dart needs to improve. In fact, Solak has presented a laundry list of fundamental weaknesses that contributed to Dart’s far-from inspiring rookie campaign and below-par numbers last season.
It’s a tough read for Giant fans, who won’t want to contemplate Dart following the same path as Wilson. Not after the latter was drafted second-overall by the Jets in 2021, only to tumble down the depth chart until he had to settle for third-string and backup duty with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and now the New Orleans Saints.
Dart avoiding the same fate as Wilson will demand fixing the problems Solak highlighted, but it’s going to require a lot of time and significant changes.
GettyWilson’s never made the grade as a first-round pick.
Thankfully, new head coach John Harbaugh and key members of his staff are putting important adjustments in place to help Dart evolve his raw talents into a more pro-ready quarterback.
Giants Already Making Necessary Changes for QB1
Harbaugh made some important hires with the clear intention of helping refine Dart’s attributes. They include new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who helped develop Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nagy has introduced a key “new wrinkle” Dart is already employing successfully at training camp. He’s embracing changes to the playbook designed to help him get the ball out of his hands quicker and move the pocket in safer, more efficient ways.
Dart is also benefitting from working with new position coach Brian Callahan. The proven quarterback whisperer has been enhancing two foundational aspects of how Dart makes his throws.
Making smart and subtle tweaks within a more pro-like structure is how the Giants tame the wilder aspects of Dart’s approach to playing football’s most important position.
It’s a similar strategy to the one Harbaugh and veteran consultant Greg Roman employed when helping Jackson mature from a dynamic, but raw athlete into a league MVP quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.
Dart isn’t on the same trajectory yet, but he’s with the right coaches to smooth out the rough edges in his game and defy those worrying comparisons to Wilson.
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