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Jordan Raanan
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The early returns from the New York Giants on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart have been positive this spring.
Dart, the 25th pick in this year’s draft, again worked primarily with the second-team offense behind Russell Wilson and ahead of Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito. He fired a touchdown pass deep down the right sideline on his final rep of minicamp practice Tuesday. With a light practice scheduled for Wednesday it could perhaps be his final pass before the start of training camp this summer.
“He’s done excellent picking up information,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said beforehand. “It’s really good to have Russ and Jameis and even Tommy because Tommy has been in this system for a few years here. Kind of the head statesman in terms of that with all the adjustments that take place and the calls. He’s fit right in with those guys. He’s smart, aggressive with the football, which I like. And then the true test will be once we start with live hitting and preseason games and things like that. He’s progressed since he’s been here. … He’s made improvement.”
Dart began the spring working with the third team as he learned the Giants’ offense. For the past three practices open to the media, he has been with the second team. He also took a few first-team reps. It all seems part of Daboll’s developmental plan for the rookie quarterback.
“Well, it’s good to get him in with the ones. There’s usually a level of anxiety at times for young players when they get thrown into the mix,” Daboll said. “It’s not exactly planned in terms of he’s getting reps there. Sometimes we’ll just say ‘get in there.’ Then he’s calling plays in front of veterans that have done it at a high level. I think that’s important. Or, put him with the threes for a while where he’s got to kind of instruct some other guys that are asking questions about things. … And just try to get him as many different situations as you can.”
Wilson has worked exclusively with the first-team offense this spring. He’s the Giants’ starting quarterback entering the summer. That is not expected to change. He was signed with the intention of being the starter. But Dart seems to have passed all the early tests this spring.
“It’s been impressive to see the last couple weeks just how he’s prepared and made the transition to becoming a pro,” quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney said. “We thought that about him, which is one of the reasons why we liked him. But he’s done a really good job of coming in here and understanding what he’s got to do to make himself a pro and approaching it the right way.”
Dart’s spring could not have ended any better than it did Tuesday. He maneuvered in the pocket and fired a pass to the right corner of the end zone into the arms of undrafted wide receiver Dalen Cambre on his final pass of the afternoon.
“All touchdowns we love,” Winston said of the pass. “I don’t think there has been one touchdown that I haven’t loved in my life. So we were excited about that. But it’s just the beginning.”
