The New York Giants weren't done with the first round after selecting Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick.
Big Blue jumped to the No. 25 slot in a trade with the Houston Texans to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart Thursday night in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
New York sent its 2025 second-round pick (34th overall), its third-round selection (99th) and a 2026 third-rounder to Houston.
Dart became the second quarterback off the board after the Tennessee Titans took Cam Ward No. 1 overall. The 21-year-old heads to New York with a ton of upside. The hope for the Giants is Dart can become coach Brian Daboll's Josh Allen in the Big Apple.
"I like the way he plays," Daboll told reporters after the pick. "I like his competitive fire. I like his accuracy. I like his ability to push the ball down the field, his athletic ability to run with the football. … I think this guy's got better every year he's played. He's a leader. He was smart. He has the attributes that we were looking for. Excited to have him. Look forward to getting him in the room. He's got a lot to learn. It'll be a process here with him, but he's a guy we look forward to working with."
A three-year starter at Ole Miss after transferring from USC, Dart set the Rebels' records for passing yards in a career with 10,617, blasting past former Giants two-time Super Bowl-winner Eli Manning's mark (10,119). Now he can chase Manning's records in New York.
In 2024, the signal-caller earned a school record 4,279 yards passing, completing a career-high 69.3% of his tosses with 29 touchdowns to six interceptions, earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Dart excelled in Lane Kiffin's QB-friendly offense, whipping the ball all over the field. Dart's pre-snap reads and flick-fast trigger allowed him to get the ball out quickly. He often had his first or second read open in the Rebels offense, and his accuracy improved throughout his career in Oxford.
Dart doesn't have a massive arm, but it's adequate, and he's not afraid to stretch the field, leading the FBS in yards per attempt (10.8) and completions of 10-plus yards (74) in 2024. The signal-caller displayed solid touch on his throws, not overpowering a wideout with RPMs at close range. He also can sling it from multiple arm angles.
Excelling in the RPO game with quick throws, the 6-foot-2 quarterback also displays athleticism with his feet. A competitive runner, Dart probably took more big shots than coaches prefer -- something he'll have to work on in the NFL. He's fearless throwing on the move, including pushing the ball downfield, but at times, he looks at the rush instead of keeping his eyes up, particularly when the pocket is crumbling.
Dart is a good athlete with a talented upside, but the question will be how fast he is pushed into action. Playing in a passer-friendly offense in which he didn't have to get through many reads, the QB enters the NFL with questions about how quickly he can get through a full progression and how well he anticipates throws.
The natural ability is evident, and Dart improved each season in Oxford. Still, he might need some incubation time in the NFL – ala a Jordan Love or Patrick Mahomes -- to fully form into a plus starter.
With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in New York as bridges, Dart could find the luxury of learning from the sideline.
Heading into the spring, that's the plan for Dart.
"Russ will be our starter, and that's how it will be once we get started here in the spring," Daboll said. "Look, the process of developing a quarterback is just that. So, we're going to do everything we can to develop him and bring him along. We have some good quarterbacks in the room relative to play time, experience, medals on the wall, if you will, that have done a great job here these first four days [at voluntary activities]."
The question is, with the brass on the hot seat in New York, might the rookie get forced into action earlier than he would otherwise?
The Giants got the best of both worlds in the 2025 draft. They snagged one of the consensus top two players in Carter at No. 3, then leaped back into the first round and landed a quarterback with upside who can grow into their franchise signal-caller. If both hit, it's a franchise-altering night in New York.
