The Ole Miss-New York Giants connection was strong this past weekend in New York City, as Eli Manning and Jaxson Dart linked up at 'Fanatics Fest.' Dart got an opportunity to rub shoulders with Rebels legends as he takes some time off before his first NFL training camp.
Last week, Dart wrapped up his first set of spring sessions with the Giants. Although there hasn't been a ton of pressure on the first-round pick just yet, considering the Giants have other veterans at the top of the depth chart, Dart knows it's only a matter of time before he has to step in and impress in front of a tough New York market, with high expectations.
Eli Manning is there to help if Dart needs it.
During a sit-down with CBS Sports recently, Manning opened up on his mentor approach with the new Giants passer. While Manning wants to be available to Dart, he isn't making it his responsibility to become a full-time mentor for the former Ole Miss QB.
"I've told him, 'Hey, I'm here to help in any way. I'm a phone call away, a text away, but I'm not getting in the way," Manning told CBS Sports.
As far as how he feels about his former franchise's decision to invest a high-end pick in Dart-Manning seems to approve.
"I've been just impressed with Jaxson, because I've seen him get better every single year," he added. "That's what you want your players to do, to make improvements, even though you're playing well, not being content and wanting to make those improvements every day. So I've kind of seen that. It sounds like he's doing that with the Giants."
Dart will enter Giants training camp as the third-string quarterback. Right now, the Giants anticipate starting the seasoned veteran, Russell Wilson, who has been in the league since 2012. Behind Wilson is the former first-overall pick, Jameis Winston, who has 105 games under his belt, including seven starts just last season.
Manning and Dart's journey with the Giants will get off to a different start. While Manning wasn't expected to start in New York right away, he ended up making his NFL debut in Week 1 for a small preview of what was to come later on in the year. By November, Manning was starting for the Giants. He appeared in nine games with seven starts during his rookie effort, before becoming a full-time starter until 2019.
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