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Giants Now: PFF names Jaxson Dart as 2026 breakout candidate

JAXSON-DART-GN

PFF names Jaxson Dart as 2026 breakout candidate

Jaxson Dart enjoyed a strong first season in the NFL, one that resulted in him being named a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

According to some members of the media, the 22-year-old signal-caller is just scratching the surface.

Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman chose an early 2026 breakout candidate for every team across the NFL. When it came to the Giants, he went with the team's young quarterback.

"Star wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending injury in Dart's first start," wrote Wasserman. "Running back Cam Skattebo suffered his own season-ending injury in Week 8. Left tackle Andrew Thomas also missed four games. Armed with a healthier supporting cast and a new coaching staff, Dart has a chance to improve significantly in 2026."

Dart had plenty of success during his rookie campaign even with the key members of the offense mentioned above all missing time.

He finished the season with the second-most passing yards (2,272) by a rookie in franchise history, while his 24 total touchdowns were the third-most by a rookie in Giants history, trailing only Charlie Conerly and Daniel Jones.

Additionally, his nine scores on the ground not only set a new franchise quarterback record, but also finished as the second-most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.

"I like the way he plays," head coach John Harbaugh said about Dart at his introductory press conference. "I like his talent, skill set, all the things he's accomplished, but more than that, I like who he is and what he's about. To me, he's about football. This young guy loves football. He wants to talk football all the time and that's kind of what I like doing too. So, I think we're going to have a lot of great conversations. I can't wait to get started with him."

Dart had 10 games with 2+ touchdowns, which tied Andrew Luck (2012), Russell Wilson (2012), Dak Prescott (2016), Jayden Daniels (2024) and Bo Nix (2024) for the third-most games with 2+ offensive touchdowns by a rookie since 2000.

View photos of the Giants' rookie class throughout the 2025 season.

View the best photos from Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama.

Screenshot 2025-08-01 at 3.36.49 PM

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