Where Giants QB Jaxson Dart's Game Needs to Mature the Most

During the rookie minicamp, New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart took his first steps towards transitioning to the NFL.

While his initial debut generated plenty of excitement among onlookers in the limited drills that included only a handful of 7-on-7s, that was just a start for Dart, who still has much to learn about life as an NFL quarterback.

Mark Schofield, a football analyst whose work has centered around quarterback play and has appeared in SB Nation and Draft Wire, recently told the Locked On Giants podcast that Dart needs to improve his situational awareness, go through his reads and progressions more quickly, and adjust to a verbal cadence.

“You watch where Jaxson got into trouble, where he made mistakes, and there were two huge areas,” Schofield said. “One was situational awareness. For example, you see those two interceptions late in the game against Florida.

“The first one, you didn't have to make that throw like you're already in plus territory late in the game. It's first down. You don't have to throw into triple coverage, like you don't need to do that.

“And number two is when he had to get to a plan B or a plan C, sometimes when he had to get more full field with his reads, that's where he got into trouble. He had an interception against Mississippi State in the end zone.

“He expected man coverage, but it was zone. He should have read it better and come to the backside dig quicker. Instead, he was late to get to it, and it's an interception in the end zone, so you have to be faster with your reads.”

According to Schofield, the good news is that in Giants head coach Brian Daboll, Dart couldn’t be in a better situation and one that Schofield thinks Daboll will find a way to help the rookie overcome quickly.

"I think that the idea that it's going to be a tough adjustment is overblown, provided the offensive staff does a good job of getting some concepts he's familiar with, because stuff that works on Saturdays can work on Sundays too," Schofield said.

While Daboll runs a system as his base, he’s also been known to work with his quarterbacks to create plays that they feel comfortable running.

Since Daboll once commented that the system Dart ran at Ole Miss had some similarities to what Alabama used to run when Daboll was on the staff there, Schofield thinks something that Daboll might look to incorporate for the rookie is a RPO-heavy scheme with tons of pre-snap motion, which would allow for quick one-read passes.

The Giants already have RPOs and quick pass plays in their arsenal to get the ball into their playmakers' hands, but Daboll wants the offense to have a better downfield attack than in the past. That requires going through multiple progressions and reading the defense.

Dart will have plenty of time to adjust to Daboll's playbook and scheme while improving his skills as the projected third-string quarterback. The Giants signed veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason.

Wilson is the Week 1 starter, and Winston is his backup. The two have played a combined 304 games and have plenty to teach the rookie.

Winston also had a similar experience to Dart. He was selected first overall in 2015 and had to deal with the pressures of being a young quarterback. Winston can help Dart deal with early expectations and adjust to a new city.

"There are things you have to learn about dealing with the media, dealing with teammates, and being a leader. And I think Jameis has learned some of those lessons as his career has progressed, and he can help instill in Jaxson," Schofield said.

Football-wise, Wilson and Winston can help Dart get acquainted with the playbook. They can also teach him how to prepare for games, read defensive coverages, pick up blitzes, and command the line of scrimmage.

May 10, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) throws a pass during rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

If this season goes well for the Giants, Dart can spend the year immersing himself in the playbook and listening to the calls and communication on the radio as he watches things unfold.

While no one can definitively rule out him playing this year–one never knows if the injury bug will sideline Wilson and Winston–the Giants will be looking for Dart to better grasp things on and off the field.

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