SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have a healthy respect for New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, none more than wide receiver Jordan Watkins.
“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, Watkins said. “After we got drafted, we talked about this game when the schedule came out.”
The Giants (2-6) aren’t having the season they hoped as they near the midway point of the season and host the 49ers (5-3) Sunday at the Meadowlands (CBS, 10 a.m.).
But it looks as if they’ve found their quarterback of the future, with Dart taking over as the starter for Russell Wilson in the fourth game of the season and injecting some hope into a franchise that is 11-31 since the start of the 2023 season.
He was important enough to coach Brian Daboll to crash the off-limits blue tent on the sideline used for evaluating injuries to check on Dart in Week 6 when he was being checked out for a possible concussion. It cost Daboll $100,000 and the Giants incurred $315,000 worth of fines.
“He’s uber talented,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “I can see why Daboll went into the blue tent. I think I would have too. I think New York hit on this one big time . . . this kid, he’s going to be special.”
To be fair, Saleh also said earlier this season that New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler was going to be a “household name,” and Rattler was benched this week in favor of Tyler Shough.
Yet there is evidence the praise for Dart isn’t hyperbole. He starred at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin, and was the only quarterback other than No. 1 overall selection Cam Ward to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, with the Giants taking him at No. 23 overall.
In three years as the Mississippi starter after transferring from USC, Dart passed for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns and rushed for 1,513 yards and 12 touchdowns. One of his favorite targets was Watkins, who had 49 receptions for 906 yards and nine touchdowns last season and in three years caught 142 passes for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins of the 49ers go this first game action in a Week 8 loss to Houston.
While Dart played well upon being an NFL starter, it’s been more difficult for Watkins, who the 49ers took in the fourth round. A high ankle sprain was a significant setback, and Watkins played in his first game in a 26-15 loss to Houston. He dropped the first pass thrown to him on third down by Mac Jones and later had his first NFL catch for a 7-yard gain.
“The crazy thing about football is it’s very humbling,” Watkins said. “My first-ever target was a drop. George Kittle came over to me and said, \`Hey, that’s football, bro. You know you’ve got it.’ You live and learn all the way to the top of the mountain and it will bring you down as well. You’ve got to forget about it and move on to the next play.”
At 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, Dart has extensive experience in the RPO (run-pass option) game Kiffin used at Mississippi and was included in the Giants system by Daboll. He’s completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 984 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions and has 194 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground.
Dart and Watkins communicate regularly, and the Giants have given Dart plays he is familiar with — always important for a rookie quarterback.
“New York’s done a good job fitting in round Jaxson, making him comfortable,” Watkins said. “He did a lot of what he’s doing now at Ole Miss.”
Considered a front-runner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Dart has seemed comfortable in the New York microscope, even if his job has become more difficult with the season-ending injuries to wide receiver Malik Nabers and most recently, running back Cam Scattebo.
He even has the support of two-time Giants’ Super Bowl winning quarterback Eli Manning, whose son is going out for Halloween dressed as non other than Jaxson Dart.
“I think it’s awesome,” Dart told reporters. “I’ve met Charlie a few times, obviously been around Eli a lot. I think he was a little disappointed that it wasn’t him.”
Dart’s ability to both execute an RPO offense, make plays off-schedule and gain yards with his feet will put added strain on the 49ers’ defense.
Tellingly, Dart’s two best performances came in wins over formidable opponents in the Eagles and Chargers and in those games he ran for a combined 23 times for 112 yards and three of his four rushing touchdowns.
“He’s very dynamic,” 49ers safety Malik Mustapha said. “It’s going to force us to really plaster onto our coverage and put our defensive line to work in terms of lane integrity and keeping him in the pocket. He’s almost like Russell Wilson, back in his prime. Once he starts to scramble, we’ve got to make sure he can’t get passes downfield.”
It will also put pressure on linebacker Tatum Bethune, making his fourth start in place of Fred Warner.
“He’s a playmaker,” Bethune said. “He’s always trying to find a way to make a play and we’ve got to limit him from doing that and get him on the ground and put pressure on him.”
Aside from Dart’s talent — he’s a slightly smaller version of Buffalo’s Josh Allen — he has impressed with the way he accepts a challenge.
“Jaxson Dart has that \`it’ factor,” general manager John Lynch said on KNBR-680. “Our D-linemen are going to have to run around and make plays. They’ll have to be active and play longer on a per-play basis. This guy extends the play very well and keeps his eyes downfield.”
Watkins called Dart “the ultimate competitor” and judging from pre-draft study and what he’s seen so far, he’ll get no argument from 49ers’ offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
“Aside from the natural talent, you just loved how he competed and made plays,” Kubiak said. “So I’m not surprised at all that he is doing well.”
Dart feels like he’s equipped to deal with a rebuilding franchise in a major media market.
“I’ve had to make strides when things really didn’t look the brightest in some moments,” Dart said. “Losing hurts. It crushes us because of the work that you put in and the expense you put out there on the field. That’s just how I’ve played the game. I give it everything I have. I’m very optimistic and I see a bright future here. You take each rep, each game, and take advantage of those moments.”