Beyond their football skills and athleticism, there are certain intangibles NFL teams look for from quarterbacks.
And there’s one particular moment from Jaxson Dart’s senior year at Ole Miss that led the Giants to believe he could be a leader, in addition to an NFL pᴀsser.
While GM Joe Schoen watched Dart — whom the Giants took at No. 25 overall after trading back into the first round — on the sideline during Ole Miss’ rivalry game against Mississippi State the day after Thanksgiving, as he recalled to Sports Illustrated, he saw Dart interacting with the defense, which he found telling.
“What really stands out about Jaxson is his pᴀssion for the game, leadership amongst his teammates and how he can cross sides of the ball,” Schoen told SI. “Like, he’s not just sitting over with the offense the entire time. You see him interacting with the defense as well. That’s a big part of the live exposure — you have a bad throw, or you have a three-and-out, you come over to the sideline, who are you interacting with? Which coaches? Are you talking to your receivers? Are you talking to your line? Are you by yourself? Are you not?
“You get back up, go to the sideline and watch the defense out there. Those are all things that we’re watching and evaluating.”
Two years earlier, according to SI, Dart received advice from former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who told him how Tom Brady built relationships with players across the roster and not just on offense.
The Giants traded the Nos. 34 and 99 picks in this year’s draft, plus a 2026 third-rounder, to the Texans to move up to No. 25 and select Dart, after picking Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall.
Dart, who turns 22 next Tuesday, will have time to develop as the Giants declared Russell Wilson as their starting QB and also have fellow free-agent signing Jameis Winston as a veteran backup.
