“You imagine the amount of t-shirts you can sell with like, Hey, smoke those darts. Light up those darts. You know, all that kind of stuff. That matters in New York.” The New York Giants drafted Jaxson Dart with their 25th pick. ‘Mad’ Mel Kiper couldn’t just make sense of the decision. He seemed flabbergasted on the Pat McAfee show and gave his ‘t-shirts’ verdict. It’s quite real, too. The decision made no sense to those who followed the pre-draft process closely and saw the Giants flirting with the QBs, especially Shedeur Sanders.

This selection was a rabbit pulled right out of the hat, as the Giants drafted Abdul Carter, traded up with the Cowboys, and drafted Jaxson Dart in the same round with their 25th pick. That move ultimately had Jaxson Dart written all over it and could have been pivotal for Shedeur, who went undrafted in the first round. The signs were all there for those who wanted to look at them. The rumblings for Dart in New York were happening long before April 24th arrived.

The Giants were always in need of a quarterback, even after they signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson as a short-term stopgap. They still needed a long-term quarterback for the future. Way before the 2024 college football season ended, we saw the Giants’ GM, Joe Schoen, attending an Ole Miss game last season. This wasn’t just flirtation but an outright expression of love from the Giants’ side. Later, they even sent a contingent to Oxford, Mississippi, to evaluate Dart in a private workout. The result culminated on April 24th, when draft day rolled in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Now, Jaxson Dart is resolved to reciprocate the same love with his on-field performances. He praised the head coach, Brian Daboll, in an interview. “Yeah, the head coach is unbelievable. I mean, everybody knows him in the football world, and he’s well-renowned for his offensive knowledge. So, I think for me, this is just such a great place to be developed by him, and his track record of developing guys and having them perform at the highest level. In my mind, there’s no better place for me to be.”

Dart looked visibly happy as emotions poured out after he got selected. As for Brian Daboll, the head coach of the Giants, he certainly will help the QB develop to his immense potential. In 2024, Dart played in Lane Kiffin’s offense. That might not resemble pro-offense. However, the QB showed that he can perform even in adverse situations. Dart showed unmatched accuracy with his passes (69.3%) and incredible anticipation in short- to intermediate areas. That’s not to say Dart’s deep balls aren’t lethal, as he still excels in stretching the field and delivering pinpoint balls to the end zone. This varied skill set fits Brian Daboll’s schemes quite well.

Will Jaxson Dart fit in Brian Daboll’s schemes?

Daboll runs a varied RPO scheme using both the rushing and passing abilities of his QBs in his offense. Daboll’s emphasis on short-to-intermediate routes fits perfectly with Jaxson’s strengths, and his rushing prowess would also be enhanced in the Giants offense. Just last year, Dart ran for close to 500 yards, along with notching up 4,279 passing yards. This type of dual-threat ability may be why Daboll passed Shedeur for Dart, as we haven’t seen this level of rushing prowess with the Buffs QB.

The Giants’ QB1 spot will take time, but it will come with the right progress. For now, Daboll will look to employ the newly signed veteran QB Russell Wilson as the starter. “Russ will be our starter, and that’s how it will be once we get started here in the spring. We’re going to do everything we can to develop (Dart) and bring him along. I like the way (Dart) plays; I like his competitive fire, and I like his accuracy. I like his ability to push the ball down the field and his athletic ability to run with the football,” Daboll said about Dart’s future at the Giants.

We have seen Daboll using Daniel Jones’ mobility to his benefit as the QB produced 708 rushing yards in 2022. The plays relied heavily on RPOs and zone reads, which Dart also offers, as we saw with Lane Kiffin’s offense. Daboll’s pre-snap demands will also be effectively managed by the former Ole Miss QB. The Ole Miss star performed unexpectedly against blitzes and brought in trouble for even the best of defenses. The QB1 spot may be elusive for now, but it will surely come with time.