Jaxson Dart spent most of Giants training camp trying to make the simple things look simple under center. By the end of the team’s stay at The Greenbrier, he finally did it.
In the Giants’ penultimate practice, Dart went 16-of-19 and finished the drive with a touchdown throw to Darius Slayton after the offense convinced John Harbaugh to give them one more snap. It was the cleanest he had looked working from under center all summer, a late-camp stretch that suggested the footwork and timing were starting to match up.
That progress now has to survive the real thing. The Giants open the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium at 1:00 p.m.
ET on Saturday, and for the first time since the spring, Dart will take live snaps without the red non-contact jersey that has protected him through camp. Practice gains are one thing.
Taking hits is another.
The under-center issue was always the central camp storyline. Dart’s spring hesitation in that area was the biggest question hanging over the offense, and the first few practices at The Greenbrier did not exactly settle anything.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Patricia Traina, his struggles “continued into the start of training camp” before they gradually eased over the two-week stay. That 16-of-19 finish looked like the payoff for that work.
Harbaugh said the Giants are still building, not arriving. “I think we got a lot better,” he said after the final practice.
“We’re much further along than we were when we started.” That matches the staff’s view of Dart as well: real progress, but plenty left to prove once the preseason begins.
There is at least a baseline to work from. Dart’s 2025 rookie season produced more than his 4-8 starting record might suggest.
Pro Football Focus credited him with 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 91.7 passer rating on a 63.7 percent completion rate. He also logged 19 big-time throws against 15 turnover-worthy plays across 414 dropbacks, a profile that showed a quarterback willing to attack downfield and operate outside the neatest structure.
The split in his grading tells the story even more clearly. Dart posted a 64.2 PFF passing grade, which ranked 34th among 43 qualified quarterbacks, while his 77.6 rushing grade ranked eighth. The path forward is obvious: get the under-center operation cleaner, and the passing side can start to catch up.
Camp has also given Dart more help around him. Malik Nabers has been the biggest headline, working back from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 4 last season and steadily stacking reps without landing on the PUP list. If Nabers is healthy, he gives Dart a target who can create separation on demand, which matters a lot for a young quarterback still smoothing out the timing pieces.
Isaiah Likely has added another useful option. The free-agent tight end has a 69.6 percent career reception rate and has already become a problem for defenses in camp. Slayton, who is still owed guaranteed money, remains the vertical threat in the group and was the target on that final-drive touchdown.
That combination gives Dart a chance to show something over the next three preseason games. The mechanics that bothered him all spring are getting better. Now comes the part where the defense is allowed to hit him, and the Giants find out whether the comfort he found at The Greenbrier carries over to game speed.
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Giants Camp Is Already Turning Up Pressure On Several Roster Names
Training camp is still in its early stretch, but there are already a handful of Giants roster names under a brighter spotlight than they probably wanted. Jaxson Dart has been working through the usual rookie growing pains while trying to get comfortable in the offense, Evan Neal has seen his reps trimmed, and Paulson Adebo has already lost his hold on a starting cornerback job. Ben Sauls is also in the middle of a kicking battle that figures to get tighter as camp moves forward.
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Giants Could Complicate Cam Skattebos Role Sooner Than Expected
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The intriguing part is what kind of player the Giants have in mind. The current setup points to Skattebo being a central piece, but the front office appears interested in pairing him with a runner who brings a different element to the offense. Whether that addition comes quickly or at all is still unclear, but it is enough to suggest the backfield could look more crowded than expected before long. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Camp Has One Encouraging Trend And Two Lingering Concerns
Training camp has given the Giants at least one reason to feel upbeat, and it starts with Malik Nabers continuing to look like one of the most dynamic players on the field. As Jaxson Dart settles into a new offense shaped by multiple coaching influences, the bigger picture around the passing game still has some promising pieces. The rookie quarterback is navigating a system that asks a lot of him, but the early returns around Nabers suggest there is real upside once the operation starts to come together.
The more unsettled part of camp is on the other side of the ball, where the cornerback competition has become one of the rosters most closely watched battles. Greg Newsome II, Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo and Colton Hood are all in the mix for playing time, and the Giants still have to sort out who fits best in the secondary. Roster pressure is adding another layer to the evaluation, with Jalin Hyatt emerging as a possible trade candidate if the numbers force a tough decision elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]