New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart learned quickly how violent the NFL can be as a rookie last season.
Dart suffered a concussion last November, and he was evaluated for a concussion five times in a 10-game span, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. He often sought out contact and addressed concerns about his safety after taking a particularly nasty hit against the New England Patriots on Dec. 1.
“I understand the question, but this is football,” Dart said. “I’m going to get hit if I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket. I feel like I played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn’t be any shocker to anybody if you followed along with my career. We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit. Things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
It remains to be seen whether Dart will protect himself better as a second-year quarterback, though Giants running back Cam Skattebo told Rich Eisen in March that it’s “not an option for us.”
Regardless, the Giants prioritized, at the very least, that Dart gets hit less in the pocket in 2026 by selecting former Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23.
“I’ll die by this [expletive], man,” Mauigoa told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge while on stage at the draft. “Man, I’m ready to die for you, man. I know a lot of things has happened, bro, but I’m ready to die for you, bro.”
Dart and Marissa Ayers, his girlfriend, were asked about Mauigoa’s intense declaration on the red carpet at the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon.
“I’m pumped,” Dart told Sports Illustrated. “We were watching that on TV.”
Ayers interrupted to add, “We were looking back and forth at each other, like, ‘Did he just say that?'”
“He fired me up,” Dart continued. “He fired me up. But that’s exactly what you want. That’s the kind of player that I want to play for, and I think that he’s an amazing addition for our team. Just his physicality, his toughness, all of his intangibles that he brings to the table, it’s gonna be awesome for us.”
The Giants figure to be a physically imposing team under first-year head coach John Harbaugh, who previously made that the Baltimore Ravens’ identity for 18 years.
Harbaugh had two first-round picks to play with in his first year as Giants head coach. The Giants finished with a 4-13 record last season, which earned them the No. 5 overall pick, and they acquired the No. 10 overall pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
New York selected former Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese fifth overall before drafting Mauigoa. Learn more about the Giants’ full 2026 draft class here.
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