Jaxson Dart has NFL draft analysts split down the middle. The Ole Miss gunslinger put on a solid showing at the combine, completing 18 of 23 passes and proving he has the arm talent to make every throw on the field. Yet, opinions on his draft stock remain divided. Some see him as a Day 2 selection, with USA Today projecting him to land in the second or third round. Others, however, rank him among the top three quarterbacks in the class, believing he could hear his name called in the first half of Round 1. So where will Dart land? Well, his draft journey just took a massive turn—one with a blockbuster-sized impact. A Big Apple-sized impact.

There are more than a few teams in need of a QB of the future with their eyes on the draft. The Titans and the Browns might look to get a rookie QB in their ranks while the Jets have a gaping hole at quarterback after Aaron Rodgers left. But it is the team across town that is generating buzz. The Giants’ need for a long-term answer has never been more urgent. The franchise has been linked with a move for Rodgers, which keeps the veteran in New York, but a latest draft projection has them in line for Dart.

Charles Davis, one of the sharpest minds in the draft game, dropped his first mock draft of the season, and it flipped Jaxson Dart’s trajectory upside down. Davis has him going No. 3 overall—to the Giants. Yes, ahead of more widely projected names, with only Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward coming off the board before him.

In his mock draft he noted, “The last time the Giants went all in on a QB from Ole Miss, it worked out pretty well. I know people have not been projecting Dart to go this high, but New York has a screaming need at the position. After passing on Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix in last year’s draft, the G-Men might not feel like they can sit back and wait this time around.” Well, Eli Manning was the last Rebel QB that the Giants signed after he was picked No.1 by the Chargers in the 2004 draft and two Super Bowl titles seem like a pretty good return. What would the Giants give for Dart to have the same impact. While some might see Davis’s prediction as a bold take, it’s not just him who’s riding the Dart train.

Giants analysts John Schmeelk and Paul Dottino broke it down on the team’s official channel, and they were just as intrigued by the possibility. “Have a look at Charles Davis from NFL.com,” they said. “He has three consecutive quarterbacks at the top of the draft—Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders off the board. So Paul, he has the Giants selecting Jaxson Dart third overall in this draft. You know, John, I think we were of the opinion after the combine that Jaxson Dart may be the third quarterback on most people’s boards. I don’t know that I heard anybody think he would be as high as number three, but if the Giants really want him, this is a guy.”

The Giants have the No.3 pick overall, which puts them in the right place to go for Dart in case the Titans and the Browns skip over either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. But why Giants should be desperate to land Dart?

The numbers don’t lie and Jaxson Dart’s 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024 with, steady improvement each season since transferring from USC Trojans has got people going crazy for him. The argument for Dart at No. 3 isn’t just about raw numbers. It’s about growth, trajectory, and upside. “Improved every year of his career since he came from USC,” Schmeelk and Dottino continued. “Had like a 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has certainly done a lot of great things. He’s Ole Miss’s all-time leading passer.” The statistical resume is undeniable, but so is the fit. With the Giants desperate for stability at quarterback, a player who has shown consistent development could be exactly what they need. The Giants have also been assessing Dart closely.

The two parties met both at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Scouting Combine last week and Dart talked about his interactions with the Giants’ staff.

“Yeah, that’s been great. Coach (Brian) Daboll is somebody who brings a ton of energy anytime you step into a room, and that whole coaching staff, you know, I had a ton of experience working with them at the Senior Bowl, meeting with them, and then especially here, you know, being able to sit and talk ball again. So, uh, it’s been a lot of fun. They’re great people, and at the same time, they’re great coaches,” Dart said. So what does Dart bring to the Giants, if the $7.3 billion franchise decides to pick him in the draft?

For starters, his distribution game is on point. This was highlighted by his 94.3 PFF grade from a clean pocket, which was the second-highest in the FBS. At Ole Miss, he excelled at delivering the ball exactly where it needed to be, adjusting seamlessly to different coverages. When he quickly diagnosed a defense, his decision-making was sharp. He recognized weak spots and attacked them with precision. Even when the pocket collapsed around him, his approach remained the same. That composure under pressure earned him one of the highest PFF grades in the nation. He wasn’t just standing tall in the pocket, he was standing prepared, knowing exactly where the ball had to go.

When the draft projections first came out, Dart was treated as somewhat of an afterthought, with all the attention on the likes of Ward, Sanders, and Travis Hunter. It was believed that trading back into the end of the first round for Dart was overdrafting him. But not anymore.

Now, some teams believe he could go in the first round itself. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that two teams hold the notion that Dart will be drafted in the “top half of the opening round.” According to Howe, while Dart cemented himself as a first-rounder at the Senior Bowl, his stock has been surging since the combine.

Giants going for Dart will make sense for them. Especially, when you consider that the franchise has been linked with Aaron Rodgers. Getting Dart for him to be groomed by Rodgers as the franchise’s QB of the future is the ideal scenario Daboll and Co. would be wishing for ever since the Daniel Jones debacle left the Giants red-faced.

Hence, the Giants are in the market to fill their QB slot, with Rodgers their prime target. While other teams such as the Steelers and the Vikings have also been touted as possible destinations for the four-time league MVP, the Giants remain ahead. NFL insider Albert Breer mentioned, “The Giants are in on Rodgers and remain his most likely destination,” in his column last Sunday. It is possible that the Giants sign Rodgers and then pick Dart with an eye to help the young QB transition into the starting role eventually. At 41, it is hard to see Rodgers being a long-term option at a franchise looking to contend.

Meanwhile, the Giants have enough reasons to get excited about the possibility of landing Jaxson Dart in the draft.

A man in demand, Jaxson Dart could be the Giants’ new hero

If any of the Giants fans or someone in the staff is not sold on Dart yet, here is a low down of what he achieved with Ole Miss last year. Given the fact that he improved his draft stock despite Ole Miss’ underwhelming finish to the 2024 season, should be enough to highlight his credentials.

Dart cemented his legacy at Ole Miss, closing out his college career as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in program history. His record-shattering senior campaign earned him First-Team All-SEC honors. Dart’s final season was nothing short of spectacular. He passed  with a stellar 69.3% completion rate, racking up 32 total touchdowns—29 through the air—while throwing just six interceptions. He capped off his career in style, delivering a four-touchdown performance in the Gator Bowl against Duke.

By the time the dust settled, Dart had etched his name in the record books as the winningest quarterback in Ole Miss history. He guided the Rebels to consecutive double-digit win seasons in 2023 and 2024, including a program-best 11 victories and a Peach Bowl triumph in 2023.

So, despite what some draft projections may predict, Dart remains a top prospect and the Giants will be eager to avoid the mistakes of the past and go all in for the Rebel.