There is hope for the New York Giants and their fans at the quarterback position. Jaxson Dart has shown enough promise in his rookie season to make people believe that he is a future franchise signal caller. And one popular sports pundit believes that the Giants should trade him.
Should Giants Trade Jaxson Dart If They Have #1 Overall Pick?
On Thursday, FOX’s Colin Cowherd was discussing Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana QB’s recent Heisman Trophy win. When speculating on where he might land and which teams could target him in the 2026 NFL Draft, he brought up an intriguing and perhaps controversial option.
Entering Week 16, the Giants are tied with the Titans and Raiders for the NFL’s worst record at 2-12. Thanks to their strength of schedule thus far, New York “wins” the tiebreaker over the other two teams, and is in line to have the top overall pick in late April.
The rumor mill will begin to turn in the coming weeks about whom the Giants will select if they are first on the board, and they could go quarterback, according to Cowherd:
“The New York Giants right now would have the #1 pick. You trade Jaxson Dart. You take the 6’5” and a half Fernando Mendoza. Absolutely.”
In addition to his flashes of stardom in his rookie season, Dart carries growing injury concerns. He has now been evaluated for a concussion in five different games this season, and he has played in just 10. He’s also missed two games while recovering from concussion symptoms. His aggressive and perhaps wreckless style of play has already come into question, which is a red flag for a young QB.
“Giants should trade Jaxson Dart and draft Fernando Mendoza with #1 pick”@colincowherd on what New York should do if they have #1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/lrd8ZO7iBk
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) December 18, 2025
But his trade value may never be higher. There are plenty of quarterback-hungry teams in the NFL this offseason, and Dart would instantly be the most attractive available target if the Giants put him on the block. They could almost surely fetch a first round pick for him in return, and perhaps use it to surround Mendoza with young talent.
Cowherd’s take is controversial, but a bold move could be exactly what the Giants need to reverse their recent fortunes. New York has had just two winning seasons since 2013, a stretch that dates back six years before Eli Manning retired. If they view Fernando Mendoza as a potential franchise-changing talent, then Jaxson Dart could become a legit trade piece.
