Jaxson Dart: 'It's a privilege' to be New York Giants quarterback
Jaxson Dart: 'It's a privilege' to be New York Giants quarterback
The New York Giants selected Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart as the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay last month.
The selection is seen as the possible end of the Giants' years-long search for their next franchise quarterback.
"I think he's got a lot of qualities you look for in a good quarterback," Giants general manager Joe Schoen said of Dart on draft night. "He's tough, makes good decisions with the football, pushes the ball down the field, has athletic ability, played in a really tough conference, started there at USC as a young guy. But did a really good job throughout this process of our meetings, board work, workouts and the tape that we liked. Look forward to working with him. Glad he's here."
The feeling is mutual. Dart has been connected to the Giants for some time, dating back a few years, stemming from his relationship with Giants great Eli Manning. Dart was not only a star at Ole Miss, like Eli, but he was also a frequent attendee at the Manning Passing Academy.
'Eli has been a huge role model of mine,' Dart told Sports Illustrated at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere last week in Los Angeles last week. 'Even before I got to Ole Miss, being able to watch him beat Tom (Brady) twice, that was incredible.'
Dart participated in the Giants' rookie minicamp but has yet to come to terms with the team in regards to his initial contract. That has not tamped down his enthusiasm one bit. He knows he's landed in a great situation.
"Quite honestly, it's something I'm really looking forward to. It's a privilege to be the quarterback for the Giants," he said. "I'm going to take it upon my shoulders to make sure that I handle it and approach it the right way, go out there and give it everything that I got. I feel like if I do that, then I'll have no regrets. There's not a better city to play for, there's not a better place to be than New York."
Dart has a ways to go before he takes over the mantle as the team's starter under center. Veteran Russell Wilson is the starter with another free agent vet, Jameis Winston, backing him up. The Giants' other quarterback, Tommy DeVito, is the only one in the room who has run head coach Brian Daboll's offense.
Dart feels fortunate to have such a fertile and friendly support system around him. He won't be forced into the lineup and will be afforded the proper length of time to learn the offense and acclimate to the NFL level. He spoke highly of the three other players in the team's quarterback room.
"They've been great. They were three of the first people to reach out to me when I got drafted, heard my name called," he said. "I've watched Russ since he was with the Seahawks, winning a Super Bowl. And I have one of his jerseys, so it's great to be in that room and then getting to learn from guys like Jameis, who has bounced around from a few different places, but has played at such as high level, has such a great understanding of the game and has so much knowledge, being able to use him as an asset to just learn and continue to grow. And then Tommy, I mean Tommy is a baller, so it's been great to have a relationship with him. We have a special quarterback room."
As for Dart's relationship with Daboll, he's bought into the idea one hundred percent.
"Coach is great. We formed such a strong connection throughout this combine time and just this whole offseason of draft prep. It's been just a privilege to get to play for him," said Dart.
"There's not another coach I'd rather be playing for. Just his ability to develop quarterbacks, see the game as a whole. He's coached every single position. He understands it through and through. I love his intensity, I love the way he coaches. This is where I wanted to be, so I'm grateful to be able to play under a coach like him."
So far, so good for Dart. Everyone is getting along just swimmingly thus far. Now all they need to do is win some football games. It shouldn't be too difficult to improve on last year's 3-14 season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Giants beat the slumping Braves 5-4 in 10 innings on a wild pitch
Tyler Fitzgerald scored on a wild pitch by Pierce Johnson with two outs in the 10th inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Friday night for their third straight win. After getting picked off first to end the ninth, Fitzgerald began the 10th on second base. He advanced to third on a one-groundout and then scored when Johnson (1-2) threw a 1-2 pitch to the backstop, sending the Braves to their fifth straight loss. Spencer Bivens (2-2) came on with the bases loaded in the 10th and got Luke Williams on a groundout to end the inning for the win. Craig Kimbrel, the Braves' career leader in saves, made his first appearance for Atlanta since the 2014 season when he entered the game in the seventh. He allowed a leadoff single to Heliot Ramos, but got bailed out when Sean Murphy threw out Ramos trying to steal second to keep it tied at 4. Kimbrel then walked Jung Hoo Lee, but picked him off first and then struck out Wilmer Flores to get out of the inning. The Giants' struggling offense produced three runs in the first with help from two errors by Atlanta and a run-scoring wild pitch thrown by Spencer Schwellenbach. San Francisco led 4-2 before the Braves tied it in the seventh when Matt Olson hit a two-run homer off reliever Ryan Walker. Key moment There was an odd moment in the fourth inning when Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to right with the bases loaded for Atlanta. Olson easily beat the throw by Mike Yastrzemski, but there was confusion because a ball had been thrown on the field by a fan in the stands. The umpires huddled to discuss it, but let the play stand. Key stat Both teams played their 26th one-run game, tied for the most in the majors. The Giants improved to 14-12 in those games and the Braves fell to 9-17. Up next RHP Bryce Elder (2-3, 4.56 ERA) will start the middle game of the series for Atlanta against RHP Logan Webb (5-5, 2.55).
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New Giants additions providing immediate spark after roster shake-up
New Giants additions providing immediate spark after roster shake-up originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SAN FRANCISCO — Nowadays, there are two different meanings to the term 'Giants Legend.' First, in reference to a player who, unequivocally, is a 'legend' in every sense of the word, a la Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Buster Posey, Will Clark, etc. You get the idea. The second, is the tongue-in-cheek version of the term that players like Daniel Johnson and Dominic Smith earned this week. Advertisement Think of it as an earning-your-pinstripes-esque term of endearment. But not to be taken literally. If you're new to the Giants and you do something impactful right away, especially when the team is struggling, you're an instant folk hero for 48 hours or so. On Wednesday, it was Johnson, a Bay Area native, who introduced himself to Giants fans with a two-hit game and a run-saving catch in San Francisco's 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. On Thursday, it was Smith, who collected three hits, including a go-ahead two-run double in the Giants' 3-2 win over San Diego in the series finale. The signing of Smith and the promotion of Johnson from Triple-A Sacramento came in a series of roster moves before Wednesday's game, where longtime first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and backup catcher Sam Huff were designed for assignment. It was a bittersweet day on Wednesday, but it didn't take long for both to provide a spark for a team that desperately needed one. Advertisement 'These guys that we've brought in have been impactful,' Melvin said of Johnson and Smith postgame. '[Andrew] Knizner too caught the entire game, guys he didn't know. I know he caught [Camilo Doval] in winter ball. He spent the entire game with Robbie [Ray] last night talking about the game plan. So it's pretty cool to see these guys come in and contribute right away, it makes them feel like part of the team that much quicker.' Knizner, the 30-year-old catcher and six-year MLB veteran, was 0-for-3 at the plate on Thursday, but caught all nine innings behind the dish and was in sync with Ray, who he met for the first time approximately 12 hours before the game. 'Nothing,' Ray said postgame when asked what he does to adjust to a new catcher. 'Shake his hand, say 'Let's have some fun today.' That's kind of what I told him going into the game. I feel like we had a really good game plan going into today, I felt like he stuck with it really well. We had some moments where he called a pitch and it was exactly what I wanted to throw, so it was almost like he had been here the whole time. 'I felt overall it was a great performance by him today.' Advertisement Baseball is a business, and while Wednesday's roster shake-up might have been difficult for many in the Giants' clubhouse, Smith and the other newcomers have had no trouble fitting in. 'It's a professional group,' Smith said of his early impression of the Giants' locker room. 'Bob has been around for a while and he knows how to conduct a locker room and keep the guys together and they're pretty straightforward and honest. I think when you understand the message as a player from the organization, it's easier to go out and play and I think this team just wants to win.' 'This team, since I came in, they've welcomed me with open arms and they're making it fun to go out there.' Smith might have further cemented his temporary 'Giants Legend' status by changing his walk-up song to Mac Dre's 'Feelin' Myself,' a decision he made to pay respect to the Bay Area. Advertisement 'Come on, I have to pay my respects,' Smith said. 'I'm an LA kid, but I have a ton of respect for the Bay, for the culture out here. Like I said, I've been a fan from a far. It's been a surreal last few days being here and I just want to be a part of this organization not just for now, but for a while.' This guy knows what he's doing. Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What we learned as Giants outlast Braves in thrilling extra-inning win
What we learned as Giants outlast Braves in thrilling extra-inning win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area BOX SCORE SAN FRANCISCO – Talk about a crazy way to get a walk-off win. Tyler Fitzgerald scored on a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Giants a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park on Friday night. It was a wacky but fitting end to a game during which the Giants flipped the tables on just about everything they had been doing this season. Advertisement San Francisco's pitching, which has shouldered the bulk of the load this season, suffered through a tough evening as starter Hayden Birdsong struggled with his command and normally reliable reliever Ryan Walker was tagged for a momentum-changing home run by Braves slugger Matt Olson in the seventh inning. Conversely, Camilo Doval shook off a month's worth of ups and downs and struck out the side in the ninth inning. Things were a little more encouraging at the plate, too. With a history of failing to generate much offense this season, San Francisco opened with three runs in the first inning against Atlanta, the second-most runs put up in the opening frame by the Giants this season. Leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos had three hits and scored a run. Wilmer Flores also had two hits and scored twice. Fan favorite Jung Hoo Lee reached base three times (single, two walks) and Dominic Smith drove in two runs. Advertisement Birdsong's fourth start since being taken out of the bullpen didn't go very far, primarily due to a heavy pitch count. The Braves were patient at the plate, forcing Birdsong deep into counts which quickly depleted him on the mound. Birdsong allowed just two hits and two runs to go with five strikeouts before his night ended in the middle of the fifth inning. Tristan Beck followed Birdsong and retired four batters before Ryan Walker took over. Walker got Ronald Acuna Jr. to strike out swinging to end the sixth then ran into immediate trouble in the seventh. Austin Riley singled leading off the inning before Olson crushed an 0-1 slider over the brick wall in right field to tie the game at 4-4. Advertisement The game was paused briefly in the fourth inning when someone in the stands threw a baseball onto the field at the same time the Braves scored a run on Michael Harris II's RBI single. Here are the takeaways from Friday's game: Let's Get It Started The Giants' offensive struggles over the past month have been well-documented, which made their first inning against the Braves impressive. San Francisco began the inning with three consecutive singles, with Wilmer Flores' bloop hit to right driving in Heliot Ramos. Dominic Smith added a sacrifice fly and Flores later scored on a wild pitch. It's the third time this season that the Giants have put up three runs or more in the first inning. Their season-high for runs in the first inning is five, which they put up against the New York Yankees in a six-inning rain-shortened game on April 11. Hayden's Control Issues For most of the season Birdsong has done a fine job of not giving up free passes but the right-hander wasn't able to sustain that against the Braves, which wound up being a big reason for his early exit after 4 1/3 innings. Advertisement Birdsong missed his target much of the night, throwing only 52 of 93 pitches for strikes, while matching his career-high of five walks. To put that in perspective, Birdsong had given up 12 walks all season and just four in his previous five starts. Baserunning Blunders The Giants did a solid job of getting men on base. Keeping them there was another matter altogether and a big reason that the Orange and Black went quiet over the final half of the game. Heliot Ramos singled leading off the eight but was thrown out trying to steal second base. The following batter, Lee, drew a walk but was promptly erased after being picked off by Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel. In the eighth, Fitzgerald reached on a two-out single but was picked off by Braves pitcher Pierce Johnson. Advertisement For a team that has struggled to score this season, the Giants have no reason to let up in situations like that. Rhose mistakes were magnified in a game this close. Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast
