Jaxson Draft trade grades: Giants earn ‘B+’ for move back into Round 1 for QB; Texans gain Day 2 ammunition

The New York Giants were able to have their cake and eat it too during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. After selecting Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick, New York traded back into the bottom of the first round, acquiring the 25th selection from the Houston Texans to bring in Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

In exchange for their first rounder, the Texans received New York’s 2025 second (No. 34 overall) and third (No. 99 overall) rounders along with a 2026 third-round pick.

Giants draft QB Jaxson Dart after trading back into Round 1: Russell Wilson will begin offseason as starter

Jordan Dajani

Of course, this trade has massive ramifications for the Giants, who’ve had some success with Ole Miss quarterbacks in the past (Eli Manning). Along with Dart, the club has veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, whom they signed as free agents earlier this offseason. Backup Tommy DeVito is also on the roster. 

Neither of those signal-callers gave the organization long-term promise at the position, so it wasn’t a surprise to see New York add a quarterback. That said, how they got there was eye-popping. It was also interesting to see the Giants target Dart with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders also on the board at No. 25. 

Dart heads to New York after a first-team All-SEC season for the Rebels, where he completed 69.3% of his passes and threw for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. 

With this deal in the books, let’s hand out some grades. 

New York Giants trade grade: B+

Acquired: No. 25 overall pick (Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss)

As we noted above, the Giants had a clear need for a developmental quarterback, which they now have in Dart. One could make an argument that the Giants might have been able to wait until No. 34 and still draft Dart, but they didn’t take any chances, which is commendable if they are confident in the player. It’s a bold, but necessary move for the franchise. Because New York has Wilson and Winston, it can take its time easing Dart into the league, which he’ll probably need. What will be interesting from here on out is comparing Dart and Shedeur Sanders’ careers after the organization passed on the Colorado signal-caller in this trade-up. 

Houston Texans trade grade: B

Acquired: No. 34, No. 99, and 2026 third-round pick

It’s, of course, impossible to fully grade how the Texans fared in this deal without knowing the players they’ll eventually bring in. That said, from a sheer asset acquisition standpoint, it’s a solid move. While this draft class is said to be lacking blue-chip talent, it’s filled with potential starters, which bleed into Day 2. In theory, the level of talent that would’ve been available to Houston at No. 25 will roughly be the same at No. 34, and they picked up another top-100 pick to move down slightly. They’re also now armed with another Day 2 pick next year.