Schefter: Giants like Wilson plan, but Dart could force their hand

The growing chatter around Ole Miss great and New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart is he’s pushing to start sooner rather than later.

He certainly impressed during Organized Team Activities earlier this month. The Giants drafted him in the first round (No. 25 overall) of the April’s NFL Draft. He became the first Rebel quarterback since Eli Manning in 2004 taken in the first round. Manning went to the Giants, too, and Dart could follow a similar path to replacing a veteran in his first year. 

Manning pushed out Kurt Warner. Dart is contending with veterans Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito. Only Dart is signed long-term (four years, $17 million), but Wilson didn’t agree to his lucrative one-year, $21 million pact to sit, either.

Wilson is a 13-year veteran and led the Seattle Seahawks to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII.

“The Giants would like to be as patient as they can with their rookie first-round draft pick, Jaxson Dart, and go with Russell Wilson,” ESPN national NFL analyst Adam Schefter said this week on ESPN’s Get Up.

“But let’s keep in mind that once before (Giants head coach) Brian Daboll and the Giants’ general manager, Joe Schoen, were in Buffalo and the plan there was to be very patient with Josh Allen. He was called on to start a lot sooner than anybody expected.”

Dart was a three-year starter and set records at Ole Miss.

He left Oxford as the program’s all-time leader in wins (28). He led Ole Miss to back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since the 60s. The Rebels have won 10 or more games in three of the last four years under head coach Lane Kiffin.

Dart is one of just four players in SEC history with 12,000 total career yards. He broke the single-season Ole Miss passing and total offense records — which were both previously held by Manning — as well as his own school records for single-bowl passing yards and total offense. 

“He’s done excellent picking up information,” Daboll said. “It’s really good to have Russ and Jameis. All the adjustments that take place with the calls, he’s fit right in with those guys. He’s smart [and] aggressive with the football, which I like. The true test will be once we start with live hitting and preseason games. But he’s progressed since he’s been here to where he’s made good improvement.”

“Jaxson’s been great, man,” Wilson said. “He’s a great worker, great teammate. We’re having fun, all of us. We have a really good quarterback room. Guys are so focused and working diligently every day. He’s going to be an extremely, extremely good talent and everything else throughout his career.”

Manning was a second-team All-American for the Rebels.

He won the Maxwell Award back in 2003. The Giants open the 2025 season in September with back-to-back road games at Washington and Dallas.

“I just trust them,” Dart said last week of the Giants’ development plan for him. “They’ve had this blueprint and they’ve done it with different quarterbacks and you’ve seen them succeed at the highest level. I trust them.

“For me, I’m just trying to be the most coachable player I can. I want to play well in the offense and be able to manage it and operate it at the highest level. I know they definitely do have a plan. Just trying to take it day-by-day. I’m not looking for results immediately. I’m a process-driven person. Just taking it day-by-day, rep-by-rep.”

The included photos were provided by the NFL/New York Giants.