In the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants secured a pair of talents in the first round they think can be foundational pieces for the franchise moving forward. As one of these players continues to navigate life in the pros, they received high praise from a member of one of football's most iconic families.
After taking Abdul Carter with the third overall pick, the Giants traded into the back end of the first round on draft night. With their second selection of the evening, they went with Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. The 22-year-old is fresh off a dominant senior season and is widely regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects of his respective class.
Heading into his rookie year, Dart is set to take on a backup role behind Russell Wilson. Even though he isn't taking the reins right away, it hasn't stopped him from turning heads with his stellar play.
Since joining the Giants, countless people have sung Dart's praises. One of the recent notable names to give him his flowers was former NFL QB Archie Manning. After getting to meet Dart at "Fanatic Fest" last weekend, he had nothing but good things to say about his skill set and character.
"Jaxson played a lot of football at Ole Miss, a lot of good football," Manning said. "I was just excited for him to be drafted in the first round and particularly New York Giants. We like the Giants. I was with Jaxson last week up in New York and he's a good guy, good player. He's very smart."
Going from Ole Miss to the Giants, Dart is on a similar journey as a former Giants legend. That being Eli Manning, who came from the same program before winning a pair of Super Bowls in New York. In the midst of the festivities last weekend, Dart had the opportunity to link up with both Mannings.
Dart began his football career at USC but went on to play his final three years at Ole Miss. During his tenure there, he racked up over 10,000 passing yards and 72 touchdowns across 39 appearances.
Seeing that everyone he's been around has glowing takeaways of Dart, it might not be long before the Giants are handing him the reins at quarterback.
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