That is one way to make a splash.
The Giants on Thursday squeezed everything possible out of the first round of the draft in what could turn out to be a momentous night for the franchise.
They did the expected and selected edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick, then they later traded back into the round to get quarterback Jaxson Dart, who now gains the тιтle of quarterback of the future.
This could turn out to be quite a coup for general manager Joe Schoen, who had never selected a quarterback in any of his three previous drafts running the show for the Giants.
He was determined to get one this time around, and believed taking one at No. 3 was not proportional value.
To get Dart, the Giants sent their second-round pick (No. 34), one of their third-round picks (No. 99) in this draft and a third-round pick next year to the Texans for the No. 25 pick.
cIt was important for Schoen not to give up pick No. 65 — the first pick in the third round — and he was able to pull that off.
“I’m glad we were able to get a guy we’re convicted on that we like,’’ a weary and relieved-sounding Schoen said. “I’ll probably on the ride home be able to decompress, but it was pretty stressful up there the last 15, 20 minutes.’’
No doubt. This was a best-case scenario for the Giants.
Dart broke Eli Manning’s pᴀssing records at Ole Miss and is the sort of charismatic leader head coach Brian Daboll covets in a quarterback.
There is a belief that Dart will need time to acclimate to the NFL, and he will get that time, as there is no need for him to get on the field as a rookie, with veterans Russell Wilson (the starter) and Jameis Winston (the backup) signed in free agency.
Dart will be given the opportunity to learn and mature, and if all goes according to plan, he could be ready to take over in 2026.
“He’s in a really good spot where he can come in and sit behind a couple of veterans and learn, and he doesn’t have to be thrown out there right away,’’ Schoen said. “From a developmental standpoint and the ability to grow, I think it’s a perfect situation for a young quarterback.’’
In fact, Daboll ᴀsserted that Wilson is the starter and that Dart is a developmental player — one he is thrilled to be able to mold.
“I like the way he plays,’’ Daboll said. “I like his compeтιтive fire, I like his accuracy, I like his ability to be able to push the ball down the field, his athletic ability to run with the football.
“I think this guy got better every year he’s played. He’s a leader, he’s smart, he has the attributes we were looking for.”
There is no doubt Schoen was determined to get a quarterback. He tried one last-ditch effort to trade up to No. 1 with the тιтans to get Cam Ward — he offered the No. 3 pick this year and the Giants’ first-round pick in 2026 — but the тιтans wouldn’t budge. Then, Schoen had to display patience as Dart and Shedeur Sanders remained on the board.
Once the Steelers pᴀssed on a quarterback at No. 21, Schoen ramped up his phone conversations, looking for a trade partner.
“We practiced some restraint there in the 20s, and it paid off,’’ Schoen said. “We kept chipping away.’’
Clearly, the Giants had Dart graded higher than Sanders, who was not selected in the first round.
“We went through an extensive process, and we moved up for Jaxson,’’ Schoen said.
It was quite a night of waiting for Dart, who started for three years at Ole Miss and has a close connection with Eli Manning and his father, Archie, who both starred at quarterback at the school.
Dart said he developed an easy connection with Daboll through the evaluation process, but that Daboll’s frequent texts “kind of died off’’’ about two weeks ago. Still, he had a good feeling about the Giants, and Daboll.
“This is the place I wanted to be,’’ Dart said.
Raised in Utah, Dart expressed confidence that he will be a snug fit in the New York market.
“No doubt!’’ he said, forcefully.
Why is he so sure about that?
“I don’t know, I just feel like I got an edge to me,’’ Dart said. “I feel like everybody in the city does, as well. So let’s get to it.’’
