Jaxson Dart Reportedly Was Finalized as QB Pick by Giants on Monday of NFL Draft Week

The New York Giants decided three days before the start of the 2025 NFL draft that Jaxson Dart was the quarterback they wanted.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Giants officials said they finalized Dart as their guy at quarterback on Monday of draft week.

"At that point he had checked all the boxes," one Giants source told Fowler.

After using the No. 3 overall pick on Abdul Carter, the Giants traded back into the first round to get the 25th pick. They sent their second-round choice (No. 34 overall) and two third-rounders to the Houston Texans to move up and take Dart.

There was some risk in waiting until No. 25 to move back into the first round. Dart was a player who kept steadily rising leading up to the draft.

There were teams in the first round that were at one point linked to the OIe Miss product, including the New Orleans Saints at nine, Pittsburgh Steelers at 21 and Los Angeles Rams at 26.

The Saints wound up using their top pick on Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. Fowler noted the Giants made the decision they wouldn't trade above the Steelers, betting they would instead go for a defensive player.

That bet paid off when the Steelers took Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. The Rams' pick seemed like a potential pivot point for Dart, either because they could have taken him as the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford or a team picking early in the first round like the Cleveland Browns moved into that spot if they liked Dart.

The Giants didn't take any chances by getting in front of the Rams to ensure they could select the 21-year-old. It's a bold move for the organization to make since scouting reports suggest he has a lot of work to do fitting into an NFL scheme after spending three years in Lane Kiffin's RPO-heavy system at Mississippi.

Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed as free agents to serve as bridge options. Head coach Brian Daboll said after the draft that Wilson will be the starting quarterback in 2025.

Even though Dart's opportunity may not come until 2026, the Giants can at least hang their hat on knowing they have a young quarterback with a lot of talent to potentially build around coming off a 3-14 record last season.