New York Giants release depth chart, name QB2 between Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has been named the New York Giants’ backup quarterback heading into the 2025 season, the organization revealed on Tuesday. Dart will open the season behind starter Russell Wilson and in front of veteran quarterback Jameis Winston.

In three preseason games, Dart completed 32/47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was selected with the No. 25 pick in the First Round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Giants.

Giants’ Week 1 depth chart lists Jaxson Dart as Russell Wilson’s backup, QB2. pic.twitter.com/ljYSMMXhLg

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2025

Dart started three seasons at Ole Miss, where he threw for 10,617 yards, 72 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 39 games. He was tabbed First Team All-SEC in 2024, which led to his first round selection in the NFL Draft.

“Jaxson Dart is a better player and he’s a better athlete than Russell Wilson,” former NFL General Manager Mike Tannenbaum said during last Tuesday’s edition of ‘NFL Live‘. “Look, I understand there’s going to be growing pains, but he is somebody that’s energized this franchise. He understands what to do. And when you talk to the Giants organization, they’re actually more thrilled with what he’s doing off the field than on the field.”

“Russell Wilson, to me, is an athletically diminished player. He was sacked at a rate 31% above the league average. So is it going to be perfect from Day 1? Absolutely not. He will make mistakes. But a young, ascending Jaxson Dart is what the New York Giant franchise needs because that’ll make them better in November and December. Russell Wilson, who’s had a good career, is clearly closer to the end.”

Lane Kiffin reveals he sees a lot of Eli Manning in Jaxson Dart’s game

Although the rookie has shown a ton of promise through the preseason, the Giants are indeed going with Russell Wilson as their starter (at least to open the season). Last season with Pittsburgh, the Super Bowl XLVIII Champion passed for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.

“I think there’s a lot of Eli (Manning) in there,” now-sixth-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin told Giants radio host John Schmeelk in July. “But then he has his dad in him, the defensive personality in him where it takes over a little bit and he gets a little aggressive. But most time throughout the week and stuff he’s very calm. There was a lot of scrambling early on, the first year, and then he really started to keep his eyes downfield and create plays alive. Stay behind the line of scrimmage and create big plays, which he did a lot, including in the last bowl game.”

New York opens its 2025 campaign against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7.