NFL: New York Jets at New York Giants
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Hope and the New York Giants have not intertwined much over the last few years, especially at the quarterback position. The last couple of seasons have been a turnstile under center, ranging from Daniel Jones to Tommy DeVito to Tyrod Taylor to Drew Lock. That constant upheaval at the most important position in the sport has contributed to a 9-25 record over the last two years. And there are more new faces at QB on the horizon entering 2025. The difference, however, is that one of them could prove to be a building block that finally gives the franchise some stability. 

Back in the spring, New York -- after initially selecting pass rusher Abdul Carter with the third overall pick --  traded back into the first round to target Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. This selection came after the team signed veteran Russell Wilson in free agency. Even after adding Dart with the 25th pick, New York has been steadfast in its plan to have Wilson as its Week 1 starter and allow its young quarterback to develop behind him (and fellow veteran Jameis Winston). 

While that seems like a worthwhile plan, Dart may not need as much seasoning as initially thought if his preseason performances are any indication. This summer, Dart has arguably been the most prolific rookie quarterback to hit the field during exhibitions. 

In his preseason debut, Dart held his own while squaring off against pieces of the Buffalo Bills first team defense, and had a beautifully placed touchdown to Lil'Jordan Humphrey with pressure in his face. 

He followed that up with an equally impressive Week 2 showing against the New York Jets, where he completed 13 straight passes to end his night. Through two exhibitions, Dart has completed 26 of his 35 passes for 320 total yards and three total touchdowns (two passing and one rushing). 

Again, the plan is for Wilson to begin the year as the Week 1 starter, but the way Dart has balled out this summer does at least open the door for him to play at some point in 2025. But when could that be? New York has been dealt a gauntlet of a schedule in 2025, ranking as the toughest in the entire NFL based on their opponents' projected win totals. Right out of the gate, they have back-to-back road games against division foes in the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys before they reach their home opener, where Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will be waiting. Yikes. 

Even with intriguing pieces on both sides of the ball, it could be tough sledding for the Giants and, if Wilson struggles, the drum will only beat louder for Brian Daboll to turn things over to Dart, ushering in this new era. Of course, Daboll could ignore those pleas to play Dart and give him a full redshirt season, but let's work under the idea that he does eventually move him up the depth chart to QB1. Below, we're going to try and identify some pockets within New York's 2025 schedule where Dart could make his first NFL start. 

Jaxson Dart
NYG • QB • #6
CMP%74.3
YDs291
TD2
INT0
YD/Att8.31
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Week 7 at Denver Broncos

Is this the softest of landing spots for Dart? Absolutely not. Denver boasts one of the best secondaries in the NFL, and Mile High is one of the more difficult road environments in the league. That said, most of New York's games to begin 2025 are going to be tough. As noted by Sharp Football Analysis, six of the Giants' first eight games will come against top-seven pass defenses from last season, which includes the Broncos. 

So why is this a spot we're identifying for Dart? Well, this game comes right after the Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. That game will take place on "Thursday Night Football," setting up the possibility of a demolishing in prime time that could heat the seats under everyone in the organization, particularly if they are looking at a 1-5 record or worse. Turning things over to Dart at that point would not only provide a moral boost, but the rookie would also have extended time to prepare for his first career starter with the Giants entering a mini-bye week. Again, this isn't the safest or softest place to bring Dart in, but the narrative surrounding New York at this point could push them to this decision. 

Week 13 at New England Patriots

In the same vein as the Week 7 scenario, this spot on New York's schedule would allow some extra time for Dart to prepare for what would be his first career start. The Giants visit the Detroit Lions in Week 12, which could prove to be a bludgeoning harsh enough to make a QB switch. Then, they face the New England Patriots in Foxborough for "Monday Night Football" to wrap up Week 13. While it's only an added day of preparation, each moment will matter to give Dart the best possible chance to show promise out of the gate. New York also goes into its bye after this matchup, which would allow Dart to catch his breath and dissect his first start before closing out the final month. Similar to Denver, however, this could be a tough on-field matchup as New England is projected to have a stout defense in 2025, headlined by a cornerback duo of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis

Week 15 vs. Washington Commanders

Getting a late bye isn't an ideal development for the Giants' hopes of being competitive on a weekly basis, but it does present arguably the most ideal time to bring up Dart. If they choose not to start him in Week 13 against New England, they could simply make the call after that contest, spend the bye week getting him up to speed to start over the final month. While their opponents over these final four games are tough (beginning with the Commanders in Week 15), three of those matchups are at MetLife Stadium. The lone road game over that stretch comes in Week 17 when they travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. This window would give New York a big enough sample size to see what it has in Dart and build momentum for 2026. 

Could Dart win Offensive Rookie of the Year? 

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Player (Team)2025 OROY odds (FanDuel)

Ashton Jeanty (Raiders)

+250

Cam Ward (Titans)

+300

Omarion Hampton (Chargers)+900

Travis Hunter (Jaguars)

+900

TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots)+1200

Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers)

+1200

Tyler Warren (Colts)

+2200

Matthew Golden (Packers)

+2200

Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers)

+2500

R.J. Harvey (Broncos) 

+2700

Colston Loveland (Bears)+2700

Jaxson Dart (Giants)

+2700

Given that Dart is currently not slated to start the season as New York's starter, his +2700 odds make sense. If he were to win the job outright (which seems unlikely), his odds would surge closer to Ward's +300 simply given the nature of NFL awards and the bias toward the quarterback position. If we work under the assumption that Dart becomes QB1 at some point during the season, it'd be a tall hill to climb for him to win OROY. 

Former Los Angeles Raiders running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen won Offensive Rookie of the Year after appearing in nine games during a strike-shortened season. That's the fewest games for any player to win the award, but that was under a unique circumstance. Meanwhile, four players won OROY playing in just 12 games, including former Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014. The three other players were running backs. 

At the quarterback position, Ben Roethlisberger and Ben Shaw both appeared in 14 games, which is the fewest a player has registered and still went on to win the award. 

So as this relates to Dart's chances, he'd have to see the field likely within the first month to get consideration for the award, if history serves as precedent. Even if he starts in Week 7 against Denver (our earliest window we projected), that'd give him just 11 starts to end the year, which is a lot of ground to cover, especially against the odds-on favorite Jeanty, as the Raiders running back is slated to see a lot of work beginning Week 1. On top of simply finding enough playing time, Dart would have to then play at an OROY level, which could prove difficult given New York's treacherous schedule, so this doesn't seem like a wise wager at the moment despite his stellar summer.