What we're watching at Giants OTAs: Can Jaxson Dart force a QB competition?

New York Times

22-05-2025

After an offseason of change, we're about to get our first real look at the revamped New York Giants roster next week.
From seeing how the 2025 NFL Draft picks fit in to watching the new quarterback room in action, there will be plenty of intrigue as OTAs kick off. But before we take our first look at the new team at Wednesday's practice, let's first review some key position battles that will unfold over the next few months. We'll focus on the offensive side of the ball today and dial in on the defensive battles early next week.
After swinging and missing on some bigger names, the Giants signed veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston before making their big play for the future by trading back into the first round to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. The three join 2023 undrafted free agent Tommy DeVito to create one of the most fascinating quarterback rooms in the league.
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To be clear, right now there isn't an open QB competition. Coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly said this offseason that Wilson will take the first-team reps to start the spring and is expected to serve as the Week 1 starter.
So, why is this considered a battle? Well, it's all about perception.
Wilson is only signed to a one-year deal, meaning the team sees him as a bridge QB. Meanwhile, Winston is playing on a two-year contract, which positions him to serve as an insurance policy to Wilson this season and the future backup for Dart, whenever he takes the reins.
With the two veterans on the roster, the Giants hope Dart will have the time he needs to develop and adjust to the NFL. Where things could get dicey is if the team struggles early. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are under a lot of pressure after going a combined 9-25 the past two seasons. Combine that with the fact that fans are always hungry for a glimpse of the future; they will get antsy to see Dart in action should things go poorly with Wilson and/or Winston to start the season.
The Giants hope it doesn't come to that, but the team's performance in the early part of the season could force their hands. In the meantime, we'll be keeping tabs on how Dart acclimates to the NFL and adjusts to something he's never done before: serve as a backup.
'I'm a competitor, so I'm going to come to work every day and do my best to make everybody around me better,' Dart said at rookie minicamp earlier this month. 'I understand what the situation is, but for me, I care about winning. There's nothing fun about losing, so it doesn't matter where you're at on the depth chart; if you're playing this much or not playing this much, if you're losing, it sucks. So, I just want to make the team better. That's my focus.'
Advantage: Wilson
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Though the quarterback position underwent a complete transformation, the rest of the offense saw only minor tweaks, with all of last year's starters returning. That includes the entire starting offensive line: LT Andrew Thomas, LG Jon Runyan, C John Michael Schmitz, RG Greg Van Roten and RT Jermaine Eluemunor.
Everyone is back, but that doesn't necessarily mean the line will look the same come Week 1. The 35-year-old Van Roten is back after starting all 17 games last season, but his spot in the lineup is not yet secure. He'll likely have to battle to keep his job, and his top competition could come from former starting RT Evan Neal.
Every Giants fan knows the first three years of the Neal experience haven't gone well. The 2022 first-rounder has struggled mightily with injuries and poor play since he was drafted, appearing in only 29 games in his first three NFL seasons. The Giants declined to exercise his fifth-year option, and he may be on the roster bubble near the end of training camp.
However, he might have a shot to jump-start his career with a position change. Though the Giants haven't publicly confirmed it, the expectation is that Neal will make the transition inside to guard. Daboll and Schoen have said this offseason that Neal is open to doing anything that helps the team.
Guard seems to be where there could be an opening after the Giants signed swing tackle James Hudson and tackle Stone Forsythe in free agency before selecting Marcus Mbow in the fifth round of the draft. Mbow could ultimately move inside, too, but the Giants are having him start his NFL career working at tackle.
Neal hasn't played guard since starting 13 games at left guard as a freshman at Alabama in 2019, so we'll see if he's up to the task of moving back inside six years later. For now, it's fair to expect Van Roten to have the edge on any competition heading into OTAs.
Advantage: Van Roten
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Last year's fifth-round pick, Tyrone Tracy Jr., took the RB1 job away from veteran Devin Singletary while Singletary was out two games with an injury. Now the question is: Can someone, namely rookie Cam Skattebo, usurp Tracy?
It's possible. Eventually. For now, however, it's probably more realistic to see whether Skattebo — New York's fourth-round pick out of Arizona State — can jump Singletary during camp and enter the season as the RB2.
Skattebo offers a physical complement to Tracy's speed and is already becoming a fan favorite in New York thanks to that physicality and underdog mentality.
'He's a really fast running back, and there's nothing about his game that you can take away from,' Skattebo said. 'He might be a little faster than me, so if you want to call it thunder and lightning, go ahead. … Whatever our roles are, if he plays the whole time and I play not at all, I'm just going to be here and I'm going to work, put my head down and keep going.'
It's early, so we'll see how Skattebo looks compared to Singletary. But for now, I give the slight edge to the veteran.
Advantage: Singletary … for now
The top three receivers are set: Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton will primarily play on the outside, with Wan'Dale Robinson in the slot. But beyond those three, the jobs look to be up for grabs. Technically, the next man up is 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, but he's coming off a lackluster season in which he tallied just eight catches for 62 yards.
Here's the full list of guarantees for the Giants' undrafted free agents, per source:
• WR Beaux Collins: $270K• WR Da'Quan Felton: $264K• WR Juice Wells: $259K• OL Jaison Williams: $165K• CB O'Donnell Fortune: $165K• S Makari Paige: $165K• TE Jermaine Terry: $65K…
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) May 21, 2025
The Giants' approach in undrafted free agency — five of their 13 UDFAs, including the three highest-paid, were receivers — made it clear they're still searching to beef up that position. The Giants recently hosted former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Gabe Davis for a visit last week, Schoen confirmed on the 'Up and Adams' show last week. Daboll and Schoen were in Buffalo for the first two years of Davis' career. But the GM mentioned Davis' injury history on the show. Davis tore his meniscus in Week 11, and Jacksonville recently cut him with a failed physical designation, so it seems Davis is likely still not fully recovered.
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'We'll see if anything transpires here down the road,' Schoen said on the show.
Until and unless that happens, Hyatt should still enter OTAs as the presumed favorite to land the WR4 job. It's also reasonable to expect him to take a step forward this season, as his straight-line speed should align him well with Wilson's strength throwing the deep ball. Maybe this is the year Hyatt's career with the Giants will finally get going.
Advantage: Hyatt
(Photo of Jaxson Dart: Adam Hunger / Getty Images)