NY Giants reportedly forcing Jaxson Dart to work on area he struggled last year

The New York Giants are well aware of Jaxson Dart’s second-to-none ability to extend plays with his feet and even come up with vital first downs on the ground. Gearing up for the 2026 NFL season, however, such plays hold little value during organized team activities.

Instead, John Harbaugh and his staff want to see how the sophomore progresses through his reads in the pocket. According to a report, the G-Men are leaving Dart no choice but to make himself comfortable in the one area of the field where he has yet to put doubts to rest.

As reported by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Giants coaches are blowing plays dead whenever Dart escapes from the pocket. The message in Bergen County is clear: New York wants its franchise quarterback to remain calm under pressure and not resort to his comfort zone—scrambling—the second things start to break down around him.

Dart struggled in the pocket

Throughout his strong rookie season in 2025, Dart showed a great capacity to make something happen out of nothing. For good reason, most of those plays came with his feet. However, Dart seldom looked truly in control and relaxed when operating between the hash marks.

Jaxson Dart during the 15th Annual NFL Honors in San Francisco, California.

As fast and elusive as he is, Dart’s ceiling will always be capped if he relies entirely on broken plays. Immediately upon arriving in the Big Apple, John Harbaugh made it his goal to tackle that issue head-on. During OTAs, the Giants can afford to focus entirely on that area of Dart’s game, and it seems that is exactly what they will do.

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Moreover, the Giants’ WR depth chart following Gunner Olszewski’s injury, suggests there is not much help available for the starting quarterback. Perhaps having him grow more comfortable now is perfect timing.

Dart’s stats in 2025

New York’s first-round selection out of the University of Mississippi finished the 2025 NFL season with 216 completions for 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Dart also rushed for 487 yards and 9 touchdowns, which put opposing defensive coordinators on their toes.

The rookie effect is over, though. Teams will come up with ways to counter Dart’s strengths and expose his flaws. If he and the Giants do not come up with a plan, they will be in for trouble. Nobody understands that better than Harbaugh.

NY Giants remain confident in Dart

As is the case with every quarterback during his first year in the league, there were a couple of giveaways, throws, and runs that left the organization in East Rutherford scratching its head. However, the outlook is mostly promising, and the Giants firmly believe they have found their franchise signal-caller.

With Harbaugh calling the shots, Matt Nagy serving as a mentor, and a revamped staff, the sky may well be the limit for the Utah native. However, as long as it goes unaddressed, there will always be concerns surrounding Dart’s pocket-passing skill set.

Determined to nip the problem in the bud, the Giants have resorted to a bold method. Whether it pays off or not, only time will tell. In the meantime, New York can be given an A for effort and creativity.