New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll had plenty of time to assess the rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart ahead of Saturday’s preseason action against the Buffalo Bills.
For the first time, the rest of the NFL world got to see what the Giants have seen over the past couple of weeks. With one game in the books, it’s safe to say that Dart has impressed so far.
Surprising? Maybe to some. To Brian Daboll, the game didn’t come with any shock factors.
“[He did] about what I thought he would do,” Daboll told reporters after Saturday’s action.
“Efficient, effective, aggressive, confident in the pocket. Some stuff we could work on, but he’s doing good.”
The good was the fact that Dart led the Giants in passing yards after going 12-19 on the afternoon. He produced 154 yards, and tossed a touchdown pass early in the second quarter. The rookie was patient, made the right read, and executed with a pretty pass while standing strong and taking a hit.
The Giants didn’t get a perfect outing from the first-rounder, but they are certainly optimistic moving forward.
“There are things he can be better at, but we missed some opportunities on third down,” Daboll continued.
“Some drops, it would’ve been even better for him and us, but he’s a confident young player and he’s improved since he’s been here. Still got a long way to go, but I enjoy working with him on the sidelines. He sees the game well. … I’m glad he’s here.”
Dart isn’t battling for a starting spot on the Giants. Despite the growing national narrative that suggested he could win snaps over Russell Wilson early on, Daboll made it clear at the start of training camp that Wilson will be the top passer for the Giants throughout the 2025 NFL season.
Although that could change depending on Wilson’s performance, it doesn’t guarantee that Daboll will go with Dart over Jameis Winston. The veteran signed a two-year deal with the Giants over the offseason.
So far, Dart seems making a case for the primary backup position behind Wilson. Once Wilson came off the field on Saturday, Dart—not Winston—was the next quarterback to take the field.
Despite a possible redshirt season, Dart carries a lot of high expectations heading into the 2025 NFL season. Entering the NFL Draft, Dart finished his college career with a 28-13 starting record. He threw for nearly 12,000 yards and tossed 81 touchdowns to just 27 interceptions over four years.
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