Russell Wilson is the Giants' starter. Brian Daboll reiterated that after the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That’s because Wilson is a been-there, done-that veteran whom the team believes gives them the best chance to win.
OK. Sure. That’s absolutely the case now, but Wilson’s placement on the depth chart should be lightly etched in pencil. He no longer matters in the grand scheme of things, not really.
Everything became about Jaxson Dart the moment the Giants traded up and turned in a draft card with his name on it Thursday night. The quarterback job should be Dart’s the moment he is ready.
The future can’t begin soon enough for New York.
Clarification is likely needed. The Giants should not rush Dart. Give general manager Joe Schoen credit. He’s cultivated an environment where he can afford Dart a luxury few first-round quarterbacks experience: Patience. There is absolutely no pressure to put Dart in right away.
SNY touched base with multiple sources across the NFL. All shared the same assessment of the Ole Miss passer: He’s a project. There are traits you absolutely love, like his grit and leadership. One executive highlighted his processing and accuracy. His arm strength is underwhelming at times (receivers sometimes have to wait for the ball), but it’s more than enough to win with.
He needs to develop mentally. He needs to get used to the speed of the NFL. He needs to check the recklessness. There is starter potential within him. Some, although not all, believe there is the potential to be a good starter.
That might take a full year. That’s perfectly fine with the Giants. They signed Wilson and Jameis Winston for that reason. Schoen wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Develop a quarterback and win in the moment. He believes New York is capable of just that in 2025.
The Giants, who finished last season a 3-14 disaster, look significantly improved on defense. They still need some beef on the inside, but their secondary is revamped after signing corner Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland. Abdul Carter, selected third overall, gives the Giants a legitimately fearsome front when paired with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence.
The Giants' offense, which ranked 31st a year ago, has undergone fewer wholesale changes. Wilson is the only new starter. Schoen and Daboll are united in their belief, though, that an upgrade at quarterback makes everyone else better. Their offense stunk last year because of Daniel Jones, not those around him – the validity of that is set to be proven in 2025.
That as a plan is fine right now. Go with it as long as Dart’s raw potential is just that: Potential. The moment he begins to show signs that he’s ready, though? Even if it’s earlier than expected? He needs to be named the starter. It’s not about Wilson being better. It’s about Dart being ready. The Giants cannot act like they owe Wilson anything.
This might seem like deja vu for one member of New York’s quarterback room. The Seahawks, back in 2012, signed Matt Flynn to a three-year contract worth $20 million to be their starting quarterback. He held the job throughout the offseason and training camp. Their coaching staff, talking to one member of it, started to notice things.
While Flynn didn’t do anything wrong, a then-rookie Wilson was electric. Every practice he “did something incredible,” the source said. He impressed even more in the first two preseason games. So, come the third dress rehearsal, he let Wilson start to see if it was a mirage or real.
Wilson led Seattle to 23 first-half points, threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Pete Carroll named him the starter. Flynn was still the better quarterback at that moment, but Wilson was ready to play. They gave him the job. The rest is history.
They say history has a tendency to repeat itself.
What Wilson accomplished that year was not the norm. Far more players that green need years before they’re ready. They sit, learn, and wait for their opportunity. In all likelihood, that will be the case with Dart. And if it is: The Giants are prepared, ready.
But the Giants can’t stop themselves from letting it happen.
The moment they drafted Dart, it was no longer about whether Wilson was the best quarterback on the roster. It was no longer about whether Wilson gave them the best chance to win.
When the rookie is ready, the rookie should play.
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