Jaxson Dart already climbing the depth chart at Giants OTAs making some phenomenal plays just like he did for Ole Miss
The New York Giants opened up their OTAs to the media on Wednesday and the player everyone wanted to see did not disappoint.Yes, the Giants' brass has insisted that the former Ole Miss Rebels star quarterback turned first round pick Jaxson Dart is not going to be rushed onto the field, but he's certainly already […]
The New York Giants opened up their OTAs to the media on Wednesday and the player everyone wanted to see did not disappoint.
Yes, the Giants' brass has insisted that the former Ole Miss Rebels star quarterback turned first round pick Jaxson Dart is not going to be rushed onto the field, but he's certainly already trying to force his way into action.
As the practice opened up it was clear where Jaxson Dart stood in the pecking order with 11-on-11 spelling things out pretty clearly. Russell Wilson led things off. Jameis Winston followed. Dart took a couple reps. Then fan favorite Tommy DeVito closed things out with very limited action in the early stages of practice.
As practice progressed Dart began looking rather comfortable working primarily with the backups, scoring a couple early touchdowns, including the one in the post below to rookie wide receiver addition, Juice Wells.
It was clear to those on site that Dart was operating the offense well in the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 sessions, especially for a rookie quarterback.
Jaxson Dart saw plenty of work with the second and third team offense early on, but then when it was time to shuffle Russell Wilson out of line with the starters, instead of Jameis Winston stepping in, it was the first round rookie.
Dart didn't waste any time with that opportunity as he stepped up and immediately threw a "dart" to wide receiver Jalin Hyatt for a touchdown in the end zone.
Dart continued seeing more work with the backups shortly after that, but as soon as he got another shot with the starting offense he didn't hold back and scored once again. This time he ran around the right side of the offense and took a bit of a dive for the pylon on the touchdown.
This is OTAs. Not July camp. Not preseason. Not real live in-game action. This is OTAs, and yet Jaxson Dart is already doing Jaxson Dart things, pushing to the limit physically and diving for the end zone in May. Ole Miss fans and those familiar with Dart's game won't too be surprised by this as he really only has one setting: all the way on, full speed ahead.
Dart didn't have a completely perfect day of OTAs as he did toss an interception on a rep with the starters too, forcing the ball into traffic, but overall the consensus was that he put together a strong showing.
This is just OTAs, so reading too much into any rep–bad or good–should be limited, but Dart's intensity, effort, energy, and poise are already evident with the Giants.
It's still quite likely that Jaxson Dart opens the 2025 NFL season as one of the backups behind veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, but it is notable that Dart is already seeing action with the starters in May. And it's also interesting that Jameis Winston was not the direct backup taking any reps with the starters. It was Dart, which makes it look like he's already climbing the depth chart.
Yes, it's early, but if Jaxson Dart can continue taking steps forward in his development, understanding of the offense, and executes at a high level like he did at OTAs today there's a real chance he rises to direct back up of Russell Wilson quickly. And if that's the case, his path to an early start for the Giants becomes possibly quite clear.
We'll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels and New York Giants coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to look back on the special final season Jaxson Dart put together for Ole Miss that got him drafted in round one by the New York Giants just sit back, relax, and enjoy the highlights video below.
