Giants' Jaxson Dart draft pick given massive criticism by NFL expert

Billy Heyen

Giants' Jaxson Dart draft pick given massive criticism by NFL expert image

The New York Giants made a bold move Thursday night when they traded up for Jaxson Dart.

The Giants essentially gave up two third-round picks to land the Ole Miss quarterback at No. 25 overall in the first round.

They went to get their guy. It's the kind of move that can sometimes pay off, if the QB pans out. Teams take risks to make sure they get the right quarterback, and this was the latest.

By one measure, though, it was an awful pick.

Pro Football Focus ruled it the "biggest reach" of the entire first round.

PFF had Dart ranked as its No. 131 overall prospect.

"After selecting Abdul Carter with the third overall selection, the Giants jumped back into the first round to draft a quarterback," wrote PFF. "Some thought it could be Shedeur Sanders, but New York landed on Jaxson Dart. While highly productive (91.9 PFF passing grade in 2024), Dart is very raw, as the system he played in at Ole Miss doesn’t translate very well to the NFL. Luckily for Dart, he doesn’t need to start right away after the Giants signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason."

MORE: Giants' Jaxson Dart trade details

That last sentence is one of the keys to the entire pick. Wilson and Winston can mentor Dart and let him slowly acclimate to the NFL.

His deep-ball accuracy makes him a real possibility as a long-term answer at quarterback, and the Giants will be able to protect him until he's hopefully ready.

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QBs are often overpaid for. By one ESPN ranking, Cam Ward was only the 18th-best player in the class, and he went No. 1 overall as the top quarterback.

The Giants will be totally justified if they have their long-term answer at QB. If not, the move will age poorly.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle