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All eyes were on the New York Giants when they drafted Jaxson Dart late in the first round. Although they were in the Shedeur Sanders conversation, general manager Joe Schoen made his pick.
When asked about Dart, his explanation for selecting him, according to Albert Breer of SI, was rather simple.
“What really stands out about Jaxson is his passion for the game, leadership amongst his teammates and how he can cross sides of the ball,” Schoen says. “Like, he’s not just sitting over with the offense the entire time. You see him interacting with the defense as well.
“That’s a big part of the live exposure—you have a bad throw, or you have a three-and-out, you come over to the sideline, who are you interacting with? Which coaches? Are you talking to your receivers? Are you talking to your line? Are you by yourself? Are you not?”
Passion is a lost element in this world, especially one for sports. There can be a clear separation between players based on passion. The talent might not be there, but the exuberant energy and love of the game is evident.
For the Giants, they lucked out. However, Dart isn't just passionate. He backs up that passion with production.
Joe Schoen loves Jaxson Dart to the Giants
Hard work beats talent, when talent fails to beat hard work is a neglected phrase. The Giants must've embraced that when picking Dart.
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However, his numbers support him being an elite quarterback.
While at Ole Miss, Dart led the SEC in completion percentage and passing yards. He also led in yards per attempt, passing yards per game and quarterback rate.
In a log jammed SEC, those are impressive metrics. Also, Ole Miss nearly made the College Football Playoff, as well as the SEC championship game.
Not to mention, he competed in the Gator Bowl when he didn't have to. That alone speaks about the competitive spirit.
However, Schoen mentioned another element of Dart's game that impressed him.
“You get back up, go to the sideline, and watch the defense out there,” Schoen said. “Those are all things that we’re watching and evaluating.”
Although the Giants signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal, they might've secured their quarterback of the future. As a result, Dart has a chance to learn under the Giants QB room.
When his number is called, Dart's passion will leak out onto the field, as well as his skill. He could win over the hearts of the Giants faithful by his work ethic and dedication alone.
