In the early stages of last season, the New York Giants made the decision to bump rookie Jaxson Dart to the top of the depth chart. While the former first-round pick showed some flashes, one analyst doesn’t appear sold on him just yet.
Following the NFL Draft, Austin Mock of The Athletic put out an updated version of his roster rankings with the use of his projection model. Despite adding numerous intriguing young talents, the Giants still found themselves towards the bottom at No. 26.
While breaking down some question marks within New York’s roster, Mock downplayed Dart’s play when he took the reins under center.
“The Giants have a few promising pieces, mainly Malik Nabers and Abdul Carter,” Mock wrote. “They’re both young, play crucial positions and have impressed early in their careers. There are plenty of holes on this roster, however, and the future at quarterback is unclear after Jaxson Dart’s unspectacular rookie season.”
Dart started 12 games for the Giants as a rookie after starting the year as a backup to Russell Wilson. He’d go on to post a 4-8 record while throwing for 2,272 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Former Champion has Big Aspirations for Giants QB Jaxson Dart
While Mock remains skeptical about Dart heading into his first full season under center, others around the league are confident he can be “the guy” for the Giants moving forward. As he prepares for his sophomore campaign, one former player was adamant about how the sky is the limit for him in New York.
During the May 5th episode of the ‘Good Morning Football’ podcast, Willie Colon gave his thoughts on the Giants heading into the 2026 campaign. He is all in on Dart, stating that he has all the tools to be successful moving forward.
“I believe he has an opportunity to be the king of New York,” Colon said of Dart. “He’s a legit dual threat quarterback, shows a lot of poise under pressure, great on third down, tough in the red zone. Has the moxy, has the flash. What the Giants are doing, they’re starting to build around him.”
The Giants have made a handful of decisions this offseason, most notably investing heavily in the offense in the draft. New York also added more weapons around him in free agency by bringing in guys like tight end Isaiah Likely.
Jaxson Dart to Kick off Second Season With Giants in Primetime Fashion
Heading into the 2026 season, one key question for the Giants is how Dart will look in year two. Following recent news, it appears that he’ll be kicking off his sophomore campaign in big fashion.
Ahead of the full schedule release later this week, the NFL has started to announce a handful of notable matchups. One of them being the inaugural Sunday Night Football matchup, which features the Giants. They’ll be opening the year at home in primetime, squaring off against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.
Facing off against a historic franchise and divisional rival in front of a national audience to start the year, Dart has an opportunity to make a big statement to begin his first season as a starter.
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