The NFL’s early read on Jaxson Dart is clear enough: there’s intrigue, but not a ton of trust yet.
In The Athletic’s annual Quarterback Tiers survey, the New York Giants quarterback landed at No. 24 among 35 veteran passers expected to play significant snaps in 2026. That puts Dart just behind names like Daniel Jones, Bryce Young and Kyler Murray, and squarely in the “show me” category with coaches and executives around the league.
The survey is built from anonymous polling of 50 NFL decision-makers, and this year’s group included eight general managers, five assistant GMs, five former GMs, three other executives, nine head coaches, 10 defensive coordinators, five offensive coordinators, two offensive assistants, one defensive assistant and two coaches focused on analytics and game management.
Voters sort quarterbacks into five tiers, ranging from the elite, carry-the-franchise type to Tier 5, the group that probably should not be on the field. Dart was one of five newcomers to the list, along with Cam Ward, Tyler Shough, Shedeur Sanders and Malik Willis. Because the sample on those players was limited, they were placed in Tier 3.
Among that group, Dart came out as the most respected name. He posted an average ranking of 3.24, ahead of Cam Ward at 3.34 and Tyler Shough at 3.42. Dart also drew fewer Tier 4 votes than the other rookie newcomers, even though he picked up only two Tier 2 votes.
The split in opinion was pretty telling. Defensive coaches were more bullish on Dart than offensive coaches or executives, and that makes sense given the way he plays. Defenses have spent the last several years adjusting to quarterbacks who can create outside structure, and Dart fits that mold.
“It’s more athleticism, playmaking ability, splash plays than consistency,” a defensive coach said.
That’s the heart of the debate. Dart’s rushing production put him in the same conversation as Cam Newton, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, but he was also described as a boom-or-bust player.
When things broke down and pressure arrived, he could make something out of nothing. On a snap-to-snap basis under pressure, though, he was among the league’s least efficient quarterbacks.
That inconsistency is what leaves offensive voices uneasy. One of the more favorable comparisons in the survey went to Tyler Shough, whom offensive minds viewed as steadier in Kellen Moore’s offense. Former quarterback and NFL scout Nate Tice said Shough is “very Tua coded” in his play, meaning he stays on time and on schedule and is more likely to throw the ball away under pressure than chase a risky play like Dart does.
Executives raised a different concern: durability over time. One GM gave Dart a small bump upward, but still wondered whether the style will hold up.
“I’m going to give Jaxson a nudge and give him a 3, arrow up,” a GM said. “But he is not going to change his style of play, so that is where I’m like, ‘I don’t know if this guy is going to last.’”
Even with those questions, the overall tone on Dart was not negative. One defensive coach said, “That is one where if (offensive coordinator) Matt (Nagy) does a good job, he can get back in the head-coaching mix.”
Another defensive coordinator was even more direct.
“I do like Dart,” a defensive coordinator said. “He can throw it.
He’s athletic, and he has a little moxie about him. I like that s---.”
That’s where Dart stands right now: a quarterback with real juice, real supporters, and real doubts attached to the way he plays. The Giants are hoping the good outweighs the bad, and that he can tighten up the consistency and clean up the risky stuff. If that happens, he could make the jump from Tier 3 to Tier 2 next year, following the path of Drake Maye and Caleb Williams.
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