At what point would it make sense for the Giants to start Jaxson Dart in Week 1?

In 2012, Russell Wilson arrived to the Seattle Seahawks as a rookie and his role seemed well defined.

The Seahawks had just paid Matt Flynn a three-year, $26 million deal to be their starter. Wilson was a third-round pick out of Wisconsin, and he’d wait his turn. Tarvaris Jackson was competing with Flynn for the QB1 job, not Wilson. Wilson wasn’t taken seriously as a threat to be the team’s starter. Then the preseason happened. By the time August was nearly over, the Seahawks knew that Wilson was their best quarterback and it didn’t make much sense to play someone else over him even though he was a rookie. Wilson would make the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 Seahawks seasons, including his rookie season, and help the franchise win its only Super Bowl.

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Therefore, Wilson should recognize the story that is unfolding in New York Giants camp.

When the Giants drafted Jaxson Dart in the first round, it was meant to be a bit of a developmental pick. Dart didn’t run a pro-style offense at Ole Miss, and it was repeated often that he was a prospect with good NFL traits who would need to sit for a while. Few thought he had any chance to be the Week 1 starter.

But what if, like Wilson on the 2012 Seahawks, Dart is simply the Giants’ best option going into the season?

Jaxson Dart impresses

Dart’s preseason debut last week was impressive. He was 12 of 19 for 154 yards, and the standout play was a pretty pass on a deep touchdown. It was just one play but one that will stick in the minds of everyone for a while, at least until Dart gets promoted to the starting job.

Giants coach Brian Daboll had plenty of praise for the rookie quarterback.

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“Just about what I thought he would do,” Daboll said. “Efficient, effective, aggressive, confident in the pocket. Some stuff we can work on, but he’s doing good.”

Daboll wasn’t over the top in talking up Dart. He said there were good things and things he needed to work on, and that goes for his practice reps too. It’s not like Dart is a finished product just because he had a promising preseason debut. But Daboll seems quite happy with what he has seen so far.

Dart undeniably has more upside than Wilson. Wilson is a limited quarterback at 36 years old, and that has been evident for a couple of seasons. If the Giants want a veteran who can capably run an offense, without the chance at anything more than baseline level quarterback play, Wilson is fine. He can do that.

It will just be hard to resist shooting for something more.

When will Dart start?

Starting Dart right away isn’t as easy as the Giants identifying that he brings more playmaking ability and giving him the spot.

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It’s also more complicated than letting Dart sit and learn for a year, or whatever would be best for his long-term development. Daboll and Giants general manager Joe Schoen aren’t guaranteed to be around for the long term. They’re both on the hot seat after barely surviving a season that co-owner John Mara summed up as “we stunk.” Whatever is best for Daboll and Schoen to give them the best chance to last another season will play into the decision, even if nobody would ever admit that out loud.

The most likely outcome is what seemed like the plan when Dart was drafted: Wilson will start the season, and if he struggles then the team will have to make a decision on whether Dart is ready. Nobody associated with the Giants wants to start Dart too soon and then have to bench him if he struggles. However, every time Wilson doesn’t play well or the Giants lose, there will be questions about whether a quarterback change is coming. The Giants knew that would happen when they traded up to pick Dart in the first round. Dart could be incredible for the rest of the preseason and force the issue, but it still seems unlikely the Giants would hand Dart the starting job for Week 1.

Then again, that’s what was being said about Wilson at this point in the preseason 13 years ago.