Jaxson Dart is a New York Giant, and if you read my pre-draft blog a few weeks ago, you may remember that I did not particularly want that to happen.
But things change, and so do people.
I have changed. I absolutely love the move to get Dart for my New York Football Giants.
The more film I watch and stats I analyze, the Dart pick seems better and better with every day. I also saw the recent clips of his pre-draft visit with the Giants, and it was amazing. You can tell that Brian Daboll and his staff fell in love with Jaxson instantly and their reactions in the draft room when Joe Schoen moved up into the late first round to get him only proved it even further.
He is a kid that has shown a great level of toughness that is needed in the NFL, and he has proven he has the skills, both mentally and physically, to thrive. He has a keen ability to read the field and find the open receiver often. At Ole Miss, he was a perfect fit for their system, and he always knew where every receiver was going to be, which feels like an obvious trait quarterbacks have but many shockingly lack.
He was not afraid to take a big hit if it meant finding the open man. He always found a way to get the ball out and execute plays exactly how they were drawn up, and this makes him a perfect fit for Brian Daboll who is a known tactician and quarterback guru. Daboll prides himself on developing young QBs and there are clearly some specific traits that he looks for, which mostly revolve around the mental aspect of leading the offense.
He wants someone who is smart and confident in the pocket, and Dart ranked 2nd in all of college last year with a 94.3 PFF Clean Pocket Grade. A proper system and offensive line could help him avoid more sacks and make consistently make good throws to a fairly solid receiving corps that may be improving even more before the season begins if all these recent Gabriel Davis and Chris Olave rumors come to fruition.
I know I mentioned a “PFF” stat earlier and more are coming, so let me preface it by clarifying what “PFF” is. It stands for Pro Football Focus and it is the number one source of stats that truly tell a players value, in both the NFL and NCAA. They provide values on a scale of 0-100 in multiple categories like Passing, Rushing, Receiving, and more to determine offensive and defensive value. All of this is averaged into one total overall PFF grade.
The highest overall grade ever recorded from a college quarterback was 95.5 and it was courtesy of Jalen Hurts in 2020. Baker Mayfield also eclipsed 95 with a score of 95.2 while Kyler Murray graded at 94.7 and Joe Burrow earned a 94.3 in each of their Heisman-winning campaigns. These are often regarded as some of the best college seasons ever, and the score was no higher than 95.5, so a score in the low to mid 90’s is elite.
The highest PFF Grade for a quarterback last year was 92.9 and it belonged to the #1 overall draft pick, Cam Ward. Jaxson Dart earned a grade of 92.5, which was good enough to earn second place. While pre-draft rankings had him as the clear #3 option at QB, his metrics suggest he is just as good as the guy who went #1. He might even be better.
Take a look at the following stat lines and tell me which player you would rather have:
Player A: 67.2 Completion % in 454 pass attempts. 4313 passing yards, 39 passing TD, 7 INT, 204 rushing yards, 4 rushing TD.
Player B: 69.3 Completion % in 398 pass attempts. 4279 passing yards, 29 passing TD, 6 INT, 495 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD.
It is very close. Like very close.
You can make a case for either player and they were separated by 24 first round picks. Player A has 10 more touchdowns and only 34 more passing yards while throwing 56 more passes. Player A has a lower completion rate, but it is still a solid score. Player A has 291 less rushing yards (in nearly half the attempts) but that is a sizable enough gap that likely makes up for the discrepancy in pass attempts.
If you have not put it together yet, Player A is Cam Ward and Player B is Jaxson Dart. Both had great seasons, but I give the edge to Dart here and again this is not intended to disrespect Cam Ward at all but rather elevate Jaxson Dart.
At the end of the day, he has a big brain resting on his shoulders and he has displayed enough of a physical acumen to show that he can stretch the field, expose defenses, evade pressure and always have a knack for making the “Big Time Throw.”
He will learn so much in year 1 as he is likely to be a third-string option behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. I feel like Winston, particularly, will be a phenomenal influence on him as I see many similarities between them in terms of pocket presence and their gunslinging ability.
I am big enough of a man to say that pre-draft Matty Wheelz was wrong about Jaxson Dart. However, I am happy that I was able to quickly see the light and turn in the most positive direction for him now. I am excited to see him grow and hope that he can be the next legendary Giants QB to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
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