Why Giants QB Jaxson Dart is a Concern for the Raiders Defense

Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is not taking Giants QB Jaxson Dart and the rest of the Big Blue offense lightly.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart poses a challenge to opposing defenses due to his dual threat ability. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The New York Giants' offense hasn’t quite set the NFL on fire this season, the unit coming into its Week 17 game against the Las Vegas Raiders ranked 17th overall, seventh in rushing, and 20th in passing.

But when Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who spent two seasons with the Giants in the same role before heading west after the 2021 campaign, looks at the Big Blue offense, he sees a group that can create some headaches for his Silver and Black defensive unit on Sunday when the two teams square off in the penultimate game of the 2025 season.

Those headaches all start with Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, whom Graham called a “dynamic football player” who can do damage to a defense both with his arm and his legs. 

“You see it when he creates those plays down there running the ball, explosive plays in terms of pass game, he has arm talent, and then the fact that the loose plays when he gets outside the pocket, can get the ball down the field,” Graham said this week.

Besides being a running threat–Dart’s 407 rushing yards are currently fifth among NFL quarterbacks this season–Graham pointed to the fact that Dart, unlike some other quarterbacks who seem to settle in with one or two receivers every week for the majority of their passing attempts, goes outside of the box in that regard. 

“He's doing a good job of distributing the ball,” Graham said. “He has his main targets, but he's doing a good job of distributing the ball.”

The other factor that has Graham’s attention when it comes to Dart? The rookie’s decision-making, not just in throwing the ball but also in deciding when to adjust. 

“He's doing a good job with their check with the run game; you can see that he's getting some favorable looks for him,” Graham said. 

The wins might not be there for Dart and the Giants, who have lost nine in a row, but overall, Graham said that Dart is a challenge neither he nor the Raiders defense will be taking lightly this weekend, just because Dart’s a rookie.

“He is a good young player that's just starting his NFL career, has a level of toughness; he'll throw it up in there against anybody. So, I mean, it's definitely a challenge for us," Graham said.

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