Jaxson Dart was selected by the New York Giants with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But he thought there was a chance that he could go in the top-10, and there was a team that showed plenty of interest but eventually passed on the Ole Miss prospect.
This coming Sunday, he’ll get the chance to play against the franchise that opted against picking him. And he says there is a chip on his shoulder from the situation.
Saints Passed On Jaxson Dart In 2025 NFL Draft
The Saints held the 9th pick in April’s selection process. New Orleans was plagued by poor quarterback play in 2024, and there was a wide assumption that they’d be in the market for a signal caller. And while they did address the position, they did so early in the second round when they selected Tyler Shough out of Louisville.
Jaxson Dart was asked if he has a "chip on his shoulder" this week after the Saints passed on him in the draft:
"I think that there's always a chip on your shoulder anytime that something like that happens." pic.twitter.com/4b2mwDJ1QX
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 1, 2025
With that 9th overall selection, the Saints opted to bolster their offensive line by picking tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
Dart would have to wait another 16 picks for his name to be called.
As luck would have it, the second career start for Jaxson Dart will come against the Saints. The Giants will travel to New Orleans this weekend for their Week 5 contest, and are hoping to keep the momentum rolling after picking up their first victory of the season last Sunday.
Dart Ready For Early-Career Revenge Game
When asked about the Draft situation and his thoughts about playing for the team that passed on him, Dart said the following:
“There is always a chip on your shoulder any time something like that happens. But yeah, I’m just going to go out there and play as hard as I can.”
Dart met with the Saints several times leading up to the draft. He came away feeling the interactions were positive and believed New Orleans was a genuine possibility for his landing spot.
But it was the Giants who made the aggressive move to pick him. In order to move into the 25th spot, they gave up the 34th and 99th overall selections, as well as a 2026 3rd round pick.
For this coming Sunday’s game, the Giants opened as early 2.5-point favorites. But the line has moved all the way to 1.5-points in the Saints favor, meaning that New York could enter the game as an underdog.
