The Giants seem to have known precisely what they wanted to do in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The team was widely criticized in 2024 after allowing running back Saquon Barkley to leave via free agency and seeing Daniel Jones’ play fall off a cliff. The 2024 season was an objective disaster as the Giants finished 3-14, giving them the third-overall pick in the draft.
Rumblings around the league and among analysts suggest GM Joe Schoen is on a tight leash in New York and needs a bounce-back year. They signed veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to stabilize the quarterback position, but the need for a long-term solution is glaring. Regardless of their job standing, Dabol and Schoen had to know that developing that position in what many regarded as a weak draft class for quarterbacks was a top priority.
The Giants Seem to Have Been Focused on Dart For a Long Time
Schoen went on the Up & Adams show to explain his organizational philosophy and how the Giants landed on Jaxson Dart.
“Any player that we take, it’s a collaborative process and it’s very detailed, and we believe in it,” Schoen said. “Jaxson’s a guy that was on the radar throughout the fall. We were able to see him play live, spend a lot of time with him. At the Senior Bowl, you know, as well this Spring.”
For Schoen, the pick made sense because of his coaching staff’s association with developing young quarterbacks. “So, it helps when the head coach is, has an offensive background and has a history with developing quarterbacks (referring to Josh Allen),” Schoen explained.
“And then you throw in a Mike Kafka who was there for Patrick Mahomes’ rookie year … and Shea Tierney, our quarterback coach, so three coaches on staff who have been part of the development of two pretty good quarterbacks in the league.”
The Giants were apparently locked in on Dart for some time. “We’ve seen these guys multiple times,” Schoen said. “So, my leadership group, along with a couple of coaches sat down and went through our final rankings and that’s when we started to devise a plan … We had a pretty good idea that Abdul would be there at three and then, you know, what were the other scenarios where, you know, we could potentially acquire Jaxson.”
Now, the Giants have their man. It’s up to them to develop him and let him grow into the position. Most evaluators and analysts feel he will need seasoning, and the smart move is probably to let him sit and learn from Wilson and Winston.
Depending on how things work out, the Giants could have found a diamond in the rough or find themselves in this position next offseason.