After selecting Abdul Carter No. 3 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants turned their sights on acquiring a franchise quarterback of the future.
Having already signed veterans Jameis Winston, and presumptive Week 1 starter Russell Wilson in the early stages of free agency, general manager Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll looked during the draft to mine one of the top passers to potentially develop as a long-term solution at the most important position in sports.
While Shedeur Sanders’ slide to the fifth round has been well documented, it turns out it was another quarterback, Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart who won over Schoen, Daboll, and the Giants’ brass during the pre-draft process this spring.
When the New York Giants Moved Jaxson Dart up Their Board
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that after meeting Dart for the first time at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., back in January, the Giants began to realize not only that he had first-round potential but that he could be an ideal fit in 2025, and beyond.
According to Raanan, after the Giants met with Dart at the Senior Bowl, and again at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, a contingency that included Schoen and Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney, president of player evaluation Tim McDonnell and senior player personnel executive and board member Chris Mara, among others flew to Missippi to put Dart through a private workout.
“That is believed to be the difference between Dart and Sanders,” Raanan writes for ESPN. “Who both had supporters in the Giants’ building early in the process. Multiple coaching and front office sources in the league believe Sanders struggled during that early March visit when Daboll peppered the quarterback on an install given to him the night before visiting the facility.
“Multiple sources told ESPN several weeks later that they spoke to individuals in the Giants organization who said they were lukewarm on Sanders. It started becoming apparent a week before the draft that they were more interested in Dart. He was Daboll’s quarterback of choice, a source said days before the draft.”
Daboll and Schoen are undoubtedly all in on Dart, whether the Giants will win enough games for either to be part of his development and to build around him will be the undercurrent belying the Giants’ entire 2025 season.
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