Jaxson Dart’s pro debut in the New York Giants’ preseason opener could not have gone much better.
The 22-year-old, whom Big Blue traded back into the first round to get at No. 25 overall during April’s draft, was more than solid against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night, completing 12-of-19 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 34-25 win. He also led the team with 24 rushing yards on three carries.
All in a day’s work, apparently, for the level-headed rookie.
“I mean, I expect myself to play well whenever I’m on the field,” Dart said. “I don’t expect myself to not play well. So, I was just trying to operate the offense and get the ball out of my hands pretty quickly to get guys the ball in space for them to make plays. And I thought they did a great job at it. Just kind of try to stack these, and the more reps that I feel like I’m going to get, I’m going to get more and more comfortable.”
He looked plenty comfortable on his touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey — a 29-yard strike that saw him calm and collected in the pocket despite knowing that Buffalo pass-rusher TJ Sanders was bearing down on him. He was leveled milliseconds after the ball left his hand.
The throw was perfect, dropping right into the basket of Humphrey and in stride while he fell into the end zone down the left sideline.
“I knew the opportunity that we were going to have,” Dart said. ” One-on-one with LJ went over the top. A lot of times, those are some of the biggest plays in games. Just in those split seconds, being able to get the ball off when you’re about to get hit… I’ve been hit by [Sanders] a few times in college. So, it’s kind of funny how it came full circle when we talked about that after.”
At this rate, Dart’s exact standing on the depth chart come Week 1 will also be discussed. Russell Wilson has already been named the regular-season starter, but the No. 2 slot behind him is seemingly up for grabs between Dart and veteran Jameis Winston, who completed 7-of-11 passes for 62 yards and a score in his outing against Buffalo.
“He’s a confident young player,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said of Dart. “He’s improved since he’s been here. Still have a long way to go, but I enjoy working with him. I like his demeanor on the sideline. He sees the game well… I’m glad he’s here.”
