How Jaxson Dart's presence has changed everything for NY Giants

PHOENIX - The presence of Jaxson Dart has the potential to change everything for the New York Giants.

The 22-year-old quarterback won't be here at The Biltmore for the NFL Annual Meeting, just as he was not at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month. Much has been made about Dart's aura since he was drafted by the Giants, so it should come as no surprise that his impact on the franchise is felt even when he's not around.

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A year ago, the Giants were in the middle of a desperate search for their franchise QB.

Dart has completely altered the narrative.

Last month in Indianapolis, there were reminders everywhere of the promise the Giants are embracing because of their quarterback. A ceiling-to-floor mural behind the check-in desk of the JW Marriott - essentially the home base for the league at the Combine - featured Dart, whose image greeted virtually the entire NFL from coaches and executives during the festivities.

The photo was of Dart from last year's Combine - complete with the heart-shaped necklace he borrowed from his younger sister and got so much attention for it - and his inclusion speaks volumes to where the Giants are under John Harbaugh, and where they believe they can go with this quarterback.

That much was reality when Harbaugh visited East Rutherford just hours before accepting the job as the head coach of the Giants, as he wound up in a room with Dart and they spent nearly two hours talking football and life, and everything that makes football their lives.

Giants brass joked afterward that, had they not broken up the meeting, Harbaugh and Dart might still be talking. The now-coach of the Giants and his franchise quarterback hit it off exceptionally well, so much so that, when Harbaugh exited the room, he knew Dart was the guy he wanted to coach.

"That's exactly the feeling I had," Harbaugh told NorthJersey.com and The Record. "Just what he's about, [Dart] had a great grasp of the team, the players, what they've gone through this year, where he would like to see the team go. You know, kind of a visionary guy, 22 years old, yet he had just sort of this vision for what he wants to build as a quarterback. It was very impressive."

This Monday morning, the NFC coaches’ breakfast will take place - AFC is the next day - with Harbaugh and the rest of the coaches holding roundtable discussions with reporters about the new faces added to their teams, remaining roster holes, ongoing draft evaluations and needs, and plenty more.

Just remember back to this time last year and where the Giants stood at quarterback with former coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen keeping their affinity for Dart somewhat hidden as the draft process played out.

They desperately needed one. In reality, they needed more than one, and Schoen made that clear a year ago.

"That’s what keeps you up at night. You’re trying to figure it out," he said, adding: "You'd love to say, hey, we’ve got a franchise quarterback, and now we know who we’re building around for the next 15 years. That’s my job: to go figure that out."

What direction Schoen and the Giants went to get the player(s) to fill what he himself called the "most important position in sports" was debated, and there were different avenues to take.

"I’m for taking swings at that position," Schoen said. "It’s the most important position and it’s hard to find ‘em, so keep swinging. Keep swinging [at quarterback] until you find one."

The Giants flirted with Matthew Stafford before he returned to the Rams on a new deal and proceeded to win the NFL MVP award this season. Aaron Rodgers had the job if he wanted it, but the longer the process took, the Giants went in another direction by signing Jameis Winston and then Russell Wilson.

Schoen had not swung the bat for a QB in the NFL Draft prior to that. The decision to re-up Daniel Jones following the 2022 playoff run for a four-year deal that turned out to be worth $80 million over two prior to his release last November was a whiff. The Giants were then boxed out of the Top 3 two years ago despite overtures to trade up when Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye went 1-2-3.

Then on draft night last April, following the Giants' selection of Abdul Carter third overall, Schoen traded up for Dart, and the rest is history.

After spinning the prize wheel at quarterback, the Giants have their guy at the position.

That means everything as this team goes forward, and take a look around the league to see why. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is a given for the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1, and after that, it's a scramble for many teams.

There's no questioning Dart as the centerpiece of the Giants' offense right now. That was the case when the season ended, and that's the premise by which the Giants are operating as they remake the roster and the identity of this team.

The Harbaugh era will welcome a bit of a culture shock in terms of how the offense will operate. No one is looking to change Dart - if anything, the Giants hope to capitalize on his skill set and will build the playbook around that - but in terms of how the Giants attack schematically, it's going to be a reset.

The think tank of coaches the Giants have put together to help Dart get his game to the next level is evident of that; any plans will blend ideas from offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Brian Callahan and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman, who will be heavily involved in the run game. Expect running backs coach Willie Taggart and tight ends coach Tim Kelly - who finished last season as the Giants' interim OC - to also be involved as Harbaugh puts together an offense essentially from scratch.

"You got to look at every possible option to build the best team you can, the most efficient way you can," Harbaugh said at the NFL combine. "And then you got to try to be right because when you make mistakes, that's when it costs you, costs you resources that aren't paying off."

A veteran scout named Milt Davis had provided Ernie Accorsi a piece of advice when both were with the Colts ‒ then with respect to Johnny Unitas ‒ that ultimately played a part in Eli Manning becoming the quarterback of the New York Giants.

"What I learned about how you judge a quarterback [from Davis]: Can he take the team down the field with the championship on the line and get it in the end zone?" Accorsi recalled for NorthJersey.com and The Record in a 2019 interview. Then, with a nod to that famous scouting report, selling the Giants on Manning as their QB, Accorsi repeated without hesitation: "In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can’t define. Call it magic."

Magic.

For Dart, the Giants are his team now, and he has taken command as the face of the franchise not with smoke and mirrors, but undeniable moxie and an uncanny ability to earn trust with his play with anticipation of uncanny greatness to come.

"He's a baller, you can't teach that," teammate Tyrone Tracy said of Dart. "You can watch film, you can study, you can do everything - but you can't teach how to ball when the lights come on."

The more we watched Dart, the greater the feeling is that he’s nowhere near his ceiling, and Harbaugh agrees. He wouldn't be here if he didn't.

With Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo expected back from season-ending injury, Isaiah Likely in a fold as a shiny new toy, new voices in his ear and valuable experience gained, Dart has a chance to grow exponentially as a player and a pro.

There is more to his skill set as a pocket passer - especially with more front line playmakers in the fold - and the vertical, downfield element to the Giants’ offense is part of a new playbook that represents untapped, immense potential.

"Things are going to change here," Dart said at the end of his rookie campaign.

Asked how he could be so confident in that happening, he quipped: "Because there's no other option. That's how I see it."

As with any magician, seeing is believing, and Dart has the Giants convinced that promise is real.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Jaxson Dart's presence has changed everything for NY Giants

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