Entering Year 1 of the John Harbaugh era, one of the tallest tasks the New York Giants face is developing second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
No one expected Dart to be as good as he was right away after they selected him with the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
As most fans remember, it was supposed to be Russell Wilson’s year, before his poor play forced the Ole Miss product into the starting lineup.
Dart displayed exciting potential in his rookie season, completing 63.7% of his passes for 2,272 yards and throwing for 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Heading into his sophomore season in the pros, Dart’s development will be the key to the Giants success, and there are two clear outcomes that are possible in 2026.
Giants Best-Case Offensive Scenario
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put together a list of every NFL offense’s best- and worst-case scenarios heading into the 2026 season, and for the New York Giants, it’s all about Dart.
In the best-case scenario, Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy can teach their hopeful franchise quarterback to better protect himself and help him reach his full potential.
“As a rookie, Jaxson Dart flashed high-end NFL potential. The talented dual-threat managed to add some juice to the New York Giants offense, even after Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo went down with season-ending injuries. Unfortunately, Dart also exhibited a reckless play style that led to one diagnosed concussion and several trips to the medical tent,” wrote Knox.
“Ideally, new head coach John Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will help protect Dart from himself while developing him into a more consistent signal-caller. If they can, he may take the sort of Year 2 leap that Drake Maye experienced a year ago, leading New York to a top-10 offense.”
No one is saying Dart should stop utilizing his legs. It’s one of the best aspects of the young quarterbacks’ game.
He ran for 487 yards and nine rushing touchdowns last season, but did have a tendency to run when he didn’t need to, and risk his own well-being for a few extra yards.
If the Giants’ new coaches can teach Dart when to get out of bounds and when not to run, he should be in good shape.
Giants Worst-Case Offensive Scenario
On the flip side of things, Knox says the New York Giants worst-case scenario would be their lack of true receiving talent stunting Dart’s development in the passing game.
“Unfortunately, Dart may not have Nabers to start the 2026 season. The Giants also lost Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, though they have added the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, Odell Beckham Jr., and rookie third-round pick Malachi Fields,” continued Knox.
“The hope is that Nabers returns to preinjury form early in the year and that New York’s additions yields a functional receiving corps. If those things don’t happen, though, Dart could struggle to build on his rookie campaign.”
The current hope is that Malik Nabers will be ready to go by Week 1, but if not, there are legitimate concerns regarding the Giants’ wide receiver core.
Heading into a season with Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, and a 33-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. as top options isn’t an ideal scenario for any NFL team, let alone one trying to develop a young quarterback.
But if Nabers is back in the mix, that should elevate the rest of the pass-catching core and give Dart a legitimate array of weaponry to work with.
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