New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is regarded in the NFL as one of the league’s best quarterback developers. He helped the Buffalo Bills strike gold when he was their offensive coordinator in 2018, evaluating Josh Allen prior to the draft and helping develop the young quarterback into one of the best in the league.
Now entering his fourth year as the Giants’ head coach, Daboll finally has his own quarterback to mentor. New York traded up to take former Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart in the first round of this year’s draft, giving Daboll a potential franchise quarterback to develop.
Brian Daboll is fired up to have Jaxson Dart in Blue
Daboll has been noticeably giddy during the team’s rookie minicamp. He and the rest of the coaching staff seem fired up about Dart. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Daboll hasn’t been this excited since the Bills drafted Allen in 2018 (h/t Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report):
“I heard he threw the ball well yesterday,” Fowler reported during a Saturday appearance on SportsCenter. “It’s only one day of rookie minicamp, but Brian Daboll is really excited about this guy. More excited about him than really any other quarterback since Josh Allen that he’s worked with.”
Dart turned heads at rookie minicamp. He threw the ball with accuracy and took command of the offensive huddle. Daboll praised the rookie for his “natural leadership qualities” and expressed how impressed he was with the way Dart went about his business.
The Giants have high hopes for Dart and Daboll
The 2025 season is a do-or-die for Daboll. After a 3-14 finish last season, the Giants’ head coach knows he needs to win games in order to keep his job. General manager Joe Schoen worked diligently to give his head coach a far-improved roster to work with this offseason, headlined by their quarterback acquisitions.
In addition to Dart, the Giants brought in a pair of veterans in Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. Their presence creates a nurturing environment for the rookie quarterback to patiently grow and develop behind the scenes.
It might be a while before Giants fans see Dart suit up on Sundays, but considering Daboll’s confidence in the rookie, there is plenty of excitement buzzing around MetLife Stadium.
Dart was a dynamo during his time in college. In 2024, he lit up the SEC — college football’s toughest conference — and completed 69.3% of his passes for 4,279 yards with a 29-6 TD-INT ratio. He also added 495 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Daboll is thrilled to have Dart, a quarterback in whom he clearly has conviction. The last time Daboll had such clear conviction in a quarterback was during his time in Buffalo. Giants fans will hope to see that conviction in Dart have a similar payoff.
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