ESPN analyst drops bold Jaxson Dart rookie year impact prediction for Giants' QB1 race ft. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston

The New York Giants selected Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft because of his exploits with the Ole Miss Rebels. He will now start his career in New York under the guidance of an offense-minded coach in Brian Daboll.

The Giants were major admirers of Dart during the draft evaluation process, and it's not a surprise that they chose him over OB standouts like Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, Dillon Gabriel and Tyler Shough. Dart will now enter a QB room featuring ten-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson and one-time Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.

However ESPN's Mike Clay thinks that there is a good chance that Dart will have an impactful rookie campaign. The ESPN analyst even predicted that Dart could start for the Giants before the season ends.

"Dart will begin his career behind Russell Wilson and perhaps also Jameis Winston, but history suggests the No. 25 pick will make a Year 1 impact. From 2011 to 2024, 38 of 47 first-round QBs (81%) took over as the starter prior to Week 10. Twenty-three (49%) started in Week 1, including Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix last season. Of the seven QBs picked in the 20-32 range, six played as rookies and four took over before Week 5. Jordan Love was the only exception since he backed up Aaron Rodgers for three seasons," Clay wrote in his ESPN report.

The NFL analyst predicts Dart to have a stat line of 1,968 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in nine starts.

Dart's projection is based on the fact that he'll likely start his career behind Wilson and Winston on the depth chart. However, there's a possibility that he could put up even bigger numbers if he gets the starting job in Week 1.

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What's the QB depth chart situation for the New York Giants?

The New York Giants currently have four quarterbacks on their active roster: Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart and Tommy DeVito. Wilson and Winston are proven veterans, while Dart and DeVito are rather inexperienced compared to the Pro Bowlers.

Dart spent one season with the USC Trojans before taking his talents to the Ole Miss Rebels. He was a three-year starter with the Rebels and left as the program's all-time leader in passing yards.

On the other hand, Tommy DeVito has appeared in 12 games as a pro and will likely alternate from the practice squad to the active roster during the upcoming season.