When the New York Giants drafted quarterback Jaxson Dart out of the University of Mississippi, head coach Brian Daboll made it clear that veteran Russell Wilson was the starting quarterback.
Although that still seems to be the case, over the last couple of weeks, there has been speculative chatter that the Giants have not ruled out starting their rookie to start the season.
Pro Football Network recently released a list of the top Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates for all 32 NFL teams, and Dart was the top candidate for Big Blue.
New York Giants: Jaxson Dart, QB
How much Jaxson Dart will play in 2025 is still unknown. However, what we do know is that the Offensive Rookie of the Year award has historically been given to quarterbacks, with 11 such winners since the year 2000.
Dart’s 2024 season with the Ole Miss Rebels shouldn’t be understated. He had a QB+ grade of 90.5 last season in Oxford, the highest of any quarterback in the FBS and the 15th-highest QB+ grade since 2019. If Brian Daboll can get Dart reproducing similar numbers in his rookie season, then the award could very well be heading to the Big Apple.
Realistically, Dart is the Giants’ candidate by default, as the team’s draft class consists of only four offensive players.
Other than Dart, the Giants have offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (fifth round), running back Cam Skattebo (fourth round), and tight end Thomas Fidone (seventh round), all of whom have to climb the depth chart to make the starting lineup.
In Dart’s case, it’s well documented that Daboll is pretty enamored with his rookie quarterback. With the Giants’ schedule being among the most difficult in the NFL, if the team’s record isn’t promising in the early part of the season, we could see Dart sooner rather than later.
Depending on how much Dart plays, he could certainly be an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, especially with a big-time target like Malik Nabers to throw the ball to.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Jaxson Dart named Giants’ Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate