Throwing Darts: Giants QB Jaxson Dart Already Showing Signs of Leadership

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart explained how he took the bull by the horns in his New York Giants practice debut.

Eat Rutherford, NJ -- May 9, 2025 -- Jaxson Dart waits to talk to the media following practice at Giants Rookie Minicamp. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No one was expecting perfection, and some probably thought New York Giants quarterback Jaxon Dart might have some jitters in his first practice with his new team.

But Dart, the man the Giants traded up to get in the bottom of the first round, had a successful debut.

The former Ole Miss signal caller went 8-of-10 (two drops) on his two sets of 7-on-7 drill work Friday, working primarily from the shotgun and throwing mostly short passes over the middle and a few slants. 

He threw his passes with authority and got the ball out of his hand quickly, each pass with some mustard on it. In his second set of throws, he threw a beautiful ball to thread the needle over the middle, looking decisive and confident.  

“Yeah, I mean, it's been surreal up to this point,” Dart said after his first day as a Giant. “I feel like it kind of just hit us for the first time. Being out here and wearing this jersey is an amazing privilege. … And you just want to continue to get better each and every day.”

Dart seems to be off to a good start in that regard. Teammate and fellow rookie Cam Skattebo praised Dart for his intelligence. And all things considered, Dart threw the ball well despite throwing to many receivers for the first time.

“Yeah, well, first and foremost, I mean, this is just an incredible opportunity for anybody who can step on the field at the NFL level,” Dart said. 

“I think we're just super grateful to be here for all of us.  It doesn't matter where you got drafted, where you got picked.  You've got to come with the same mindset each and every day. And you see so many guys across the league who have a ton of success who maybe weren't even drafted the highest, but they come to work every day and are consistent.”

Dart revealed that on Thursday evening, the rookies got together on the bus on their way back to their hotel to go over the practice script given to them by the coaching staff. This was to ensure that everyone was on the same page and that things ran as smoothly as possible so that they could hit the ground running. 

Whether that went completely smooth as it looked is up for the coaches to determine, but in the two 7-on-7 periods, things were moving along at an uptempo.

Dart's decision to take on that role speaks to his ability to lead and his teammates' ability to follow.

“I just think I'm really confident in my preparation every day.  And I feel like anytime I step on the field, I don't have doubts when I play,” he said. 

“I think that comes from taking the time to understand the scheme, what I'm doing, and why a play is called to be executed a certain way. And that's something that I take pride in.

“As a quarterback, you're only as good as the guys around you. So, you want to make sure that everybody's on the same page and has the same preparation aspect to make sure that everything's down to a T and is done the right way,” he said. 

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