Jaxson Dart 'Lucky' to Have Russell Wilson, Winston as Mentors, Giants OC Kafka Says

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka suggested this week that rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart is in an advantageous position as it relates to being a young quarterback in the NFL.

Thus far, Dart has had the chance to sit and learn behind two veterans in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, prompting Kafka to tell ESPN's Jordan Raanan, "[Dart] doesn't know how lucky he is."

Wilson is a Super Bowl winner and potential future Hall of Famer with 201 career regular-season starts to his credit, while Winston has made 87 starts and understands the pressure associated with being a high draft pick, as he went No. 1 overall in 2015.

Kafka has seen a similar situation before, dating back to his time with the Kansas City Chiefs as their offensive quality control coach in 2017 and then quarterbacks coach from 2018 to 2021.

In 2017, the Chiefs selected quarterback Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft, but rather than forcing him into the starting lineup, they let him develop behind veteran Alex Smith for a year.

Kafka noted to Raanan that Mahomes benefited from "watching Smith's routine, from how he digested the game plan to adjustments he made during the week to how he watched film to how he took care of his body."

Of course, Mahomes hit the ground running as the starter in 2018, winning the NFL MVP Award. He has gone on to win three Super Bowls as well.

After Wilson and the offense got off to a rough start in a 21-6 Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders this season, there was some thought that head coach Brian Daboll would make a quick quarterback change, potentially even in the form of naming Dart the starter.

However, Daboll decided to give Wilson another start in Week 2, and the offense looked far more explosive.

Although the Giants fell 40-37 to the Dallas Cowboys in overtime, Wilson threw for a career-high 450 yards in the loss, and he currently leads the NFL through two weeks with 618 passing yards.

Dart was perhaps among the most polished quarterback prospects in the draft, having started 41 games between USC and Ole Miss in college, but making him the starter in the infancy of his career could have been a disaster waiting to happen.

While Dart undoubtedly looked like the Giants' best quarterback during the preseason, having him start right away for a team that is expected to be among the worst in the league potentially could have been an early confidence killer.

Instead, Dart can learn what to do and what not to do from Wilson and Winston, which could conceivably ensure that he's far more prepared to take on the starting role either later this season or next season.