Jaxson Dart has thrown 10 touchdowns against three interceptions for the Giants this season. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Giants took a gamble drafting Ole MIss quarterback Jaxson Dart 25th overall in April, and there are signs that the gamble is working out in the near term. In nine games this season, Dart has thrown for 10 touchdowns against three interceptions while ranking in the top 10 in the league in Total Quarterback Rating (64.8) and rushing touchdowns (seven).
This success may not be a surprise to those that watched Dart with the Rebels, however. Ex-New York quarterback Eli Manning certainly did, and in a Thursday morning interview with _SI_ promoting [Flag & Anthem](https://www.flagandanthem.com/?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ax%3A20279298938%3A%3A&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_si=%7Bsourceid%7D&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20274622023&gbraid=0AAAAADR1m7FQ6WMornRwBzAgcT_v735G9&gclid=CjwKCAiAlfvIBhA6EiwAcErpyVH2vsC7cCnf6WtWCTSU2Wp2Iz227DBKjaNAX2fOEyttXYPTsxsV7hoCuOgQAvD_BwE) Manning praised the most efficient passer in FBS a year ago.
"He's handled everything very well. He came in, he's played well. He's got a great presence in the pocket, can buy time, extend plays... you can see the difference in his first game and his fifth, sixth game just getting through his progressions a little bit quicker," Manning said.
Dart sustained a concussion during the Giants' 24–20 loss to the Bears on Nov. 9, which cost him a chance to play against the Packers Sunday. He'll return Sunday against the Lions, and Manning expressed hope the injury can prove teachable.
"That's part of the learning process also—hey, these hits add up," Manning said. "The hits are a little. bit harder in the NFL. The players are bigger, they're faster. You gotta find ways to protect yourself and make sure you're doing everything possible to stay in games and be able to play each and every week."
The challenge for Dart is to continue to succeed in spite of changes around him. New York will have a new coach in 2026, as the Giants sacked coach Brian Daboll on. Nov. 10.
To Manning, Dart's and other young quarterbacks' trajectories strike at a big issue at the position: the increase in turnover and decrease in patience since his playing days.
"Are we truly grooming them and training them and giving them enough time to work on their mechanics so they're getting better?" Manning said. "It's very quick. It's moving very fast. The changing of the coaches and coordinators makes it very hard for some of these young quarterbacks."
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