Saturday will mark the beginning of the Giants’ Jaxson Dart era — or at least one chapter of it.
Dart, the franchise’s prized rookie quarterback, will make his game-field debut in the 1 p.m. preseason opener at the Bills.
Will Dart start? That remains unclear. All Giants coach Brian Daboll would say Thursday, before this week’s final training camp practice, is that Dart would play. It’s unclear if starter (for now) Russell Wilson will get in.
The Giants technically (and comically) list Dart third on the depth chart, behind Wilson and Jameis Winston, even though Dart has consistently been second in the quarterback pecking order through 12 camp practices.
But who cares about the depth chart? It means nothing for Dart’s progress. (And that progress has come in fits and starts this summer, as you’d expect.)
As for Wilson, him playing in Buffalo (or not) is an afterthought. There is no chance he will become the Giants’ long-term answer. The minute he struggles this season, fans will boo him off the field and call for Dart, who obviously does have a chance (emphasis on that word) of developing into the Giants’ next Eli Manning, a Super Bowl-winning legend.
OK, so what does Daboll need to see from Dart on Saturday in Buffalo?
Consistency and composure. That’s what.
Dart is a fearless player, but he doesn’t need to play hero ball or put himself in harm’s way during the preseason opener. He quite obviously should not do the latter. While a couple great touchdown passes would be a welcome development for the Giants, Daboll surely wants to see how Dart is smoothing out the subtler parts of his game.
How does he handle pre-snap communication and blitz recognition? Can he get his teammates in and out of the huddle and properly lined up? With NFL pressure in his face (for the first time), will he make smart decisions about when to scramble or throw the ball away, to avoid turnovers?
Remember, Daniel Jones made plenty of impressive throws with the Giants. But he too often lacked consistency and composure, especially under pressure. That’s why he failed in East Rutherford.
All the mental parts of playing quarterback in the NFL will prove challenging for Dart in 2025. We know he can do the job physically. But it’s all that other (equally important) stuff that often prevents a first-round quarterback (like Jones) from thriving in this league.
Remember, Saturday is just a starting point for Dart. He doesn’t need to accomplish everything all at once, doesn’t need to try to immediately leap to first on the depth chart. This is just a big first step in showing consistency and composure. It’ll be fascinating to see how he handles it.
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Darryl Slater may be reached atdslater@njadvancemedia.com.
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