Russell Wilson Reportedly Knew Giants Eyed QB in 1st Round Before Signing Contract

The New York Giants' decision to select Jaxson Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft reportedly came as no surprise to Russell Wilson.

ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported Thursday that Wilson was aware of the "possibility the Giants could draft a quarterback in the first round this year" when he joined them.

"He was fine with that," Raanan reported. "Not all the quarterbacks available this offseason wanted to step into a situation that could have a highly drafted quarterback entering the picture, a team source told ESPN.

"Wilson and [Jameis] Winston were willing. They were the veteran quarterbacks of choice."

New York ended up trading back into the first round to take Dart at No. 25 overall, but Raanan noted Wilson will have the first opportunity to be the starter. And that comes as anything but a surprise, as the 10-time Pro Bowler is the most established option in a room with Winston, Dart and Tommy DeVito.

Wilson is also 36 years old and signed with the Giants for just the upcoming season. He surely knows he is not the team's quarterback of the future, so it would make sense that he wasn't upset with the front office taking a quarterback.

This also gives him the opportunity to play a mentor role to Dart in the latter stages of his own career, which could help carry his legacy on after his retirement if the Ole Miss product ends up thriving and becoming the face of the Giants.

At this point, Wilson is looking to bounce back from a period of inconsistency with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. After a largely dominant career with the Seattle Seahawks, he went 17-24 as a starter the last three years for the two AFC squads.

More inconsistency could open the door for Dart to play earlier than expected, but at least Wilson isn't surprised he is sharing a quarterback room with the rookie.