Usually, teams make headlines during the NFL Draft for the players they pick. But when it comes to Shedeur Sanders, the franchises are in the news for not picking him. Despite having the opportunity to draft the Colorado Buffs star, one of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football and the son of Deion Sanders, the New York Giants passed on him not once, but twice. They instead chose to trade up and grab Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick.
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This move understandably shocked many, as the Giants’ quarterback room before the draft consisted of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, two veterans at the fag end of their careers.
And considering how Sanders was widely labeled as the second-best quarterback of the 2025 draft class, Brian Daboll & Co. choosing to overlook the Buffs star has left many fans confused.
However, FS1 analyst and former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho was unsurprised by the Giants’ decision. In Acho’s eyes, the football world knows the name Shedeur Sanders, but not enough people know the game of Jaxson Dart, and that’s what mattered to the Giants.
“The name you’re familiar with, the game I need you to know a little bit better,” Acho said in his film breakdown on Dart. “This is why Jaxson Dart has become quarterback two on many people’s boards.”
In a detailed breakdown of Dart, the former Eagles LB dissected two plays that, in his view, made the Ole Miss star jump off the screen—and onto New York’s radar. The first was a slot fade throw under heavy pressure, one of the toughest throws in football, according to Acho.
“He doesn’t even bother looking off the post safety because he knows—if I throw a perfect ball, this defender can’t touch it,” Acho explained. “That’s Dart. Bomb. Touchdown.”
Jaxson Dart accounted for nearly 25% of Ole Miss’s rushing yards, while also throwing for 4300 yards.
Brian Daboll needs a running QB and the kid can play. The kid can freaking play. #Giants
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 25, 2025
The second play was a 50-yard strike thrown on the move while scrambling left, a moment Acho called one of his favorite throws of the entire college season.
“Eyes downfield the whole time. Dart could tuck it and run for eight, but he’s like, ‘Nah, I want to take this one to the crib,’” Acho said. “That’s a dude who lives above the playbook. That’s a quarterback.”
Beyond his passing acumen, Jaxson Dart’s mobility also proved to be a major selling point for the Giants.
Acho emphasized this point by noting how Dart accounted for nearly 25% of Ole Miss’s total rushing yards last year. It makes him an ideal fit for Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who loves to play with dual-threat quarterbacks—a description that doesn’t quite fit Shedeur Sanders.
“Brian Daboll needs a running QB,” Acho added. “And the kid can play. The kid can freaking play.”
The decision to pass on Shedeur was no doubt painful for some fans, especially after his impressive college career and massive media presence. But the Giants clearly prioritized scheme fit, instincts, and multi-dimensional play over spotlight. And in Dart, they have found a quarterback who checks all these boxes, even if he doesn’t trend regularly on social media.
