EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Jaxson Dart, the young quarterback for the New York Giants, has expressed that there is always a “resentment” when the circumstances of the NFL draft don’t unfold as one hopes. Dart, who initially hoped to be selected by the New Orleans Saints with the ninth pick, was ultimately drafted by the Giants in the first round. The Saints chose not to pick Dart, and instead, the Giants secured the talented quarterback with the 25th pick. The next challenge for Dart and the Giants (1-3) is a matchup against the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, following a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Dart’s debut as a starter.
During the pre-draft process, Dart had multiple meetings with the Saints, and his impression was that the conversations were positive, believing that there was a real possibility of joining the team. However, things did not materialize as he hoped. In the draft, the Saints selected Kelvin Banks Jr. with the ninth pick, while the Giants opted for Abdul Carter before focusing on the quarterback position. Dart revealed that New York was his first choice immediately after the draft and that he hasn’t changed his mind since then.There is always resentment when something like that happens. But I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can.
Jaxson Dart
Dart’s debut as a starter was a success, leading the Giants to their first victory of the season, with 111 passing yards, a touchdown, and 54 rushing yards with another touchdown. Although satisfied with his performance, Dart acknowledges areas for improvement. In the game, Dart took 17 hits, the second-most among quarterbacks of the week. Despite a hamstring injury and a concussion check, Dart fully participated in Wednesday’s practice and feels good for the game against the Saints.I love being here. There is no place I’d rather be. I love how passionate the people are, both outside and inside the facilities. I like the attitude of the people on the East Coast. It’s a lot of fun. So I love it.
Jaxson Dart
Dart doesn’t regret the hits he’s taken and is focusing on improving his footwork and progressions to avoid holding the ball for too long. The only moment he wishes he could change was the “stiff-arm” attempt against Chargers defensive back Cam Hart. The Giants team focuses on the challenge of playing in a noisy environment at the Saints’ stadium.I ran a lot with the ball in college. There were definitely times in college when my body felt it after games. It’s just football. You won’t always feel 100 percent after the game.
Jaxson Dart
Offensively, we’re going to have to do a good job of communication, from getting the play, to Jaxson’s communication, to the snap counts that we choose to use in relation to the sounds that are out there, which are usually loud. We simulate it and try to do the best we can here in practice, but it’s definitely one of the keys to being able to communicate and operate and stay on track and eliminate some of the pre-snap stuff that when you play in a domed stadium that’s loud like this.
Coach Brian Daboll
