Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have been through this rodeo before, drafting a first-round quarterback with enticing upside but one who might need some seasoning before he's truly ready to cook.
In 2018, Schoen was an assistant general manager in Buffalo and Daboll the offensive coordinator when the Bills selected Josh Allen with the No. 7 overall pick. In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Schoen likened the New York Giants' situation with 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart to his experience in Buffalo.
"We've been through this, we went through it with Josh Allen," the Big Blue GM said. "We had a little bit different quarterback room at the time, but he was going to sit his rookie year and then halftime of the opening game we're getting smoked by Baltimore, so we put him in and the rest was history. So that plan didn't go as well, but we didn't have a Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston in the room. So again, Jaxson's going to come in, he's got to learn the offense, there's a lot to learn, these NFL offenses are hard to grasp and pick up and then be able to go out and execute, so the ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros already will be beneficial for him."
In 2018, the Bills entered the preseason with AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman in the QB room along with Allen. Buffalo wound up trading McCarron on Sept. 1, paving the way for Peterman to start Week 1. Peterman threw two interceptions and completed 5 of 18 passes for 24 yards before being yanked in favor of Allen. The Bills never looked back. They rode Allen's up-and-down rookie season, and the QB benefited from the experience.
One would hope that if Wilson starts the season under center, he'd complete better than 27.8 percent of his passes in Week 1.
Wilson and Winston are both significantly better than Peterman, and Dart, the 25th pick, has more questions than Allen did entering his rookie season. It's not an apple-to-apples comparison. However, with both the GM and coach on the hot seat, seeing what they have in the rookie might be necessary if things start out rocky.
Schoen noted that regardless of how things shake out, they'll need to get Dart ready to play.
"And again, still, injuries occur, you know we've played seven quarterbacks over the last two years, so he's going to have to prepare like he's going to have to play," he said. "So again you want him to come in, develop a routine, learn how to be a pro, learn how to study the game, and then if his number's called and he has to go out and execute, he's going to need to be ready."
The question for the summer months is how many reps the Giants will carve out for Dart, who needs snaps. With Wilson and Winston also learning the offense, the division of labor will indicate Daboll's ultimate plan as we barrel toward a pivotal season for Big Blue.
