Giants QB Jaxson Dart Enters Year 2 Under Pressure To Raise His Game

No New York Giants player is under more pressure entering this coming season than quarterback Jaxson Dart. The 2025 first-round pick showed signs of promise as a rookie, but there are much higher expectations for the former Ole Miss signal caller in his second season.

That includes Pro Football Focus analyst Bradley Locker, who included Dart as one of ten second-year players under pressure to deliver in Year 2 of their careers.

Locker noted that while Dart is dripping with raw talent thanks to his arm, athleticism, and ability to improvise, “more development is required — particularly in avoiding poor decisions and sacks.”

According to PFF, Dart was responsible for 39.1% of the pressures he absorbed as a rookie, tops among 24 qualifying quarterbacks with a minimum of 125 dropbacks with pressure.

Dart’s average time to throw (3.08 seconds) was also very telling, ranking third among all quarterbacks, while his average time to sack was a league-leading 4.59 seconds, indicating that instead of throwing the ball away, he showed a tendency to hold onto it too long.

Along with decision-making as a passer, Dart also came under fire for his refusal to be smart when deployed on designed runs, often trying to squeeze as much extra yardage as possible when he should have slid to protect himself or gotten out of bounds.

That recklessness led him to make five trips to the blue medical tent in his first 10 starts, which is not what the Giants want to see.

If there was a silver lining, it’s that Dart’s four turnover-worthy plays were tied for fourth-fewest among quarterbacks with a minimum of 360 dropbacks. But there is still way more growth for the former Ole Miss signal caller.

Giants Averaged 23.5 Points Per Game With Dart Starting Last Year

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) participates in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is much optimism that Dart, in what is essentially a new offense for him, in which he has spoken about being asked to do things he hasn’t done much of before, such as operating under center and changing plays, will rise to the challenge in his growth.

The Giants need him to hit the ground running this summer. They averaged 23.5 points per game when Dart started in 2025, which would have ranked 15th in the NFL over the season.

Without him, they averaged just 19.8, which would rank 26th. Dart's presence was the difference between a league-average offense and a bottom-third offense.

The young quarterback brings a dynamic element to Big Blue's offense after laying down a solid foundation. What he does in Year 2 will go a long way toward determining just how far the offense and the team can go.

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