Jaxson Dart

ANALYSIS
The Giants traded back into the first round from their 34th selection, working with Houston at the 25th spot to make Dart the team's second selection of the first round. Quarterback remained a need for the Giants following the third-overall selection of edge defender Abdul Carter, and in theory the acquisition of Dart addresses that concern. Dart (6-foot-2, 223 pounds) was a very successful starter at Mississippi and logged some quality off-the-bench starts for USC as a true freshman before that, and now the Giants will hope he can provide an upgrade over the veteran duo of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Dart offers more rushing ability than most quarterbacks and showed the ability to make some good throws in college, but Dart probably needs to do a better job of executing a play design through its conclusion -- in college he probably dropped his eyes and looked to run a little too easily. If Dart can harness his mobility and accuracy in a more refined form of himself then he could prove to be worth this selection.

ANALYSIS
It has become increasingly rare for teams to let their first-round rookie quarterbacks sit for a full year, but the Giants may be in a decent position to do so. They added a pair of veteran quarterbacks to the roster this offseason in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, who are expected to open the season as the starter and backup, respectively. Dart could rise up the depth chart and start later in the 2025 season, but the Giants intend to bring him along slowly.