The Giants and Saints have put themselves in a difficult situation.
While both teams might want to play the long game with their 2025 NFL Draft quarterbacks, a talented crop of 2026 prospects should take that option off the table.
The Giants traded three picks (2025 second- and third-rounders and a 2026 third) to the Texans to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall. On Day 2, the Saints chose Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough 15 picks later at No. 40.
Of the two, Shough has a clearer pathway to starting this fall. Derek Carr, the Saints’ QB1 for the past two seasons, is dealing with a shoulder injury that has threatened his availability for 2025.
Adding Shough so early in the draft under first-year head coach Kellen Moore is likely a sign that New Orleans intends to start him sooner rather than later. At 25, he should be able to enter training camp and beat out backups Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener for the starting gig. It would be concerning if he can’t.
It’s more complicated for the Giants. On Saturday, head coach Brian Daboll told reporters that 2024 free-agent acquisition Russell Wilson “will be our starter,” allowing Dart time to develop.
That would be a mistake, as New York needs to know what it has in Dart before the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks including South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Texas’ Arch Manning, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Pittsburgh’s Eli Holstein are among the draft-eligible players who could hear their names called next April. While some could return to college, that class will have several notable names regardless.
There could be improvements over Dart in the lot, but New York won’t know unless it plays its rookie this fall. With general manager Joe Schoen and Daboll’s jobs potentially on the line, they’re putting their personal preferences above what’s best for the team.
New Orleans will likely have a better understanding of its quarterback situation and whether it needs to add one for a fourth consecutive draft in 2026.
With next year’s quarterback class widely considered to be better and deeper than this year’s, the Giants and Saints don’t have time to coddle their rookies.
Both franchises must find out whether they’ll sink or swim, and fast. Their replacements could be a year away.
