The New York Giants have something special in rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. They invested plenty to move up and go get Dart in the first round of this year’s draft, and so far, the rookie has exceeded all expectations.
Dart is off to a hot start to his career and is receiving plenty of praise and recognition for his work. The Ole Miss product is earning the respect of his competitors already as a result of his impressive first four starts.
But Dart hasn’t been perfect. One particular skill set in his game needs improvement.
Jaxson Dart has struggled to hit the deep ball this season
When throwing the ball deep, Dart has missed more than he’s hit. His deep-passing accuracy has been subpar.
This season, Dart has attempted 21 deep 20+ yard passes. He has completed just five of those attempts for 156 yards with a 1-1 TD-INT ratio. Pro Football Focus has credited him with three Big Time Throws and four Turnover Worthy Plays.
Dart’s 33.3% adjusted completion rate on deep passing attempts is the seventh-lowest among 36 eligible quarterbacks this season. His 54.1 passer rating on 20+ yard attempts is the fifth-lowest.
Throwing the ball deep was a strength of Dart’s game during his collegiate career. The ability to throw the ball accurately downfield has been demonstrated in the past, so there is no major cause for concern. Once Dart finds his consistency in that regard, he will become an incredibly dangerous quarterback to match up against.
The Giants have to be encouraged by Dart’s hot start
Despite Dart’s struggles to hit the deep ball, the Giants have to be encouraged by the rookie’s otherwise hot start to his career.
Fireside Giants of Empire Sports Media shared some of Dart’s stats from his first four starts on X:
Dart has earned upset wins over two top teams (the Chargers in Week 4 and the Eagles in Week 5). He hasn’t been without his rookie mistakes and growing pains, but Dart has kept the Giants competitive against playoff-caliber opponents.
Developing a rookie quarterback is a process; there are ebbs and flows. So far, Dart has exceeded expectations and flashed his potential. The rest of the season will be about the Giants developing Dart and hoping the rookie sees improvements in his game to set up long-term success.