Giants general manager Joe Schoen likes what he’s seen from Jaxson Dart thus far, but that doesn’t mean the rookie quarterback is close to a finished product.
Even after an impressive preseason, Dart remains behind starter Russell Wilson on the Giants’ quarterback depth chart, and Jameis Winston is still in the mix as well.
“There’s still a lot of room for growth there,” Schoen said Wednesday of Dart. “He still has room for growth and a long way to go, and luckily, he’s in a room surrounded by veterans that have played in this league for quite some time. I think that will provide dividends down the road.”
That’s been a common refrain from Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll since the Giants traded up to select Dart out of Ole Miss with the No. 25 pick in April’s draft.
But the buzz around Dart has only grown after three preseason games in which the 22-year-old totaled 372 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with 52 yards and another score on the ground.
Dart completed 32-of-47 pass attempts (68.1%) in those preseason games, during which he showed a propensity for play-making and received a few snaps with the first-team offense.
“It’s one thing to be able to learn in the classroom and regurgitate it, but to go out and actually execute it and do it quickly and correctly, I would say Jaxson impressed me,” Schoen said. “Not that he couldn’t do it or we didn’t think he could, but [he] impressed me in terms how quickly he was able to pick it up and actually go execute and play fast.”
This could be a make-or-break season for Daboll and Schoen, whom the Giants retained after going 3-14 last year.
Schoen signed Wilson, 36, in the spring to a one-year contract worth up to $21 million, envisioning the veteran as someone who can help the Giants win now.
“The leadership’s been tremendous from the minute he walked in the building, not just on offense or in the quarterback room, but across the entire team,” Schoen said. “He looked good this camp. He had a good camp, he’s in good shape, and excited to see what it looks like when we come to the regular season.”
But first-round quarterbacks typically don’t sit for long.
Of the 15 quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 2021, all but two started by Week 6 of their rookie year. The only exceptions came last season, when Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. took over in Week 16 and Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy missed his rookie year due to a knee injury.
“I think [Daboll has] said it a million times: Russ is our quarterback,” Schoen said Wednesday. “So that’s what we’re rolling with, and the timeline [for Dart] will be the timeline however, it works out.”
WAIVER CLAIMS
The Giants won a pair of waiver claims Wednesday, adding safety Beau Brade from the Baltimore Ravens and cornerback Rico Payton from the New Orleans Saints.
Both were undrafted rookies last year, with Brade appearing in 11 games for Baltimore and Payton playing 16 for the Saints.
Schoen said both have special teams value and provide depth on defense, too.
“Just to upgrade the depth of both of those positions, we’re happy to get those guys,” Schoen said.
Those were the only waiver claims the Giants put in for, Schoen said.
PRACTICE SQUAD
Many of the players who didn’t make the Giants’ initial roster are returning on the practice squad.
Among them are defensive tackle Elijah Chatman; running back Dante “Turbo” Miller; and kick returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Schoen said Wednesday.
The others include defensive tackles Jordon Riley and Elijah Garcia; wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey; outside linebackers Tomon Fox and Trace Ford; offensive linemen Jake Kubas and Bryan Hudson; cornerback Dee Williams and safety Raheem Layne.
“We’ll continue to fill out the rest between now and [Thursday],” Schoen said.
The Giants were unable to retain quarterback Tommy DeVito, who was claimed by the New England Patriots. With DeVito gone, the Giants do not plan to carry a quarterback on the practice squad, Schoen said.
