Giants, Texans trade grades for blockbuster move involving Jaxson Dart

04/25/2025 09:27 AM

The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft featured a handful of fascinating trades. The night started with a bang after Jacksonville traded up to the second overall pick to select Travis Hunter. There were also a number of other trades, including a big move up the board by the Falcons and a pick swap at the end of the first round.

However, only one of those trades resulted in a quarterback being selected.

New York and Houston made a trade that many NFL analysts predicted would happen. The Giants entered the 2025 NFL Draft desperate to find a young quarterback. Everyone knew the Giants would take Abdul Carter with the third overall pick, which meant a trade back up into the first round was extremely likely.

The Giants did just that, moving up into the bottom of the first round to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart.

Here are the complete trade terms.

Giants receive: 

• 2025 first-round pick (became QB Jaxson Dart)

Texans receive: 

• 2025 second-round pick (34th overall)
• 2025 third-round pick (99th overall)
• 2026 third-round pick

Which team will come out on top of this trade?

Below we will explore this trade from the perspectives of both teams. I will also hand out a grade for each team.

The Giants make a smart trade to acquire QB Jaxson Dart at discount price

This may be the best-case scenario for the Giants considering their current position.

Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are clearly on the hot seat after a dreadful 2024 season. Giants owner John Mara made it clear that he expects his team to find a new quarterback this offseason.

The Giants added Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency. Now Dart comes in as a developmental quarterback.

Daboll has already declared that Wilson will be the starter instead of Dart. Obviously a lot can change between now and the fall, especially if the Giants start losing games in the regular season. Regardless, we can grade this draft assuming Dart is only a developmental player.

Dart was a three-year starter at Ole Miss, playing against top competition in the SEC. He steadily improved throughout his collegiate career, which should give New York confidence that he can continue to develop from the bench.

Some NFL scouts may compare Dart to 49ers QB Brock Purdy in terms of playing style and strengths/weaknesses. It is presumptuous to assume Dart will have Purdy’s NFL career, especially considering the organizational differences between New York and San Francisco.

We should also note that picking Dart over Shedeur Sanders is a bold choice. New York is already being questioned about that decision.

I really like this trade by the Giants, even if Jaxson Dart’s future is a complete unknown. The Giants got much better in the first round of the draft, now they just need to get the job done on the field this fall.

Grade: B

Should the Texans have selected an offensive lineman instead of trading back?

Let’s address the elephant in the room.

It is almost impossible to truly assign the Texans a grade for this trade, largely because they haven’t used their picks yet.

With that being said, we can examine a few factors to help make sense of the trade. We can look at which players are left on the board as well as how many picks the Texans have to work with. It is also worth considering what exactly the Texans hoped to accomplish with this trade.

The Texans have a huge need on the offensive line, which many fans hoped they would fill in the first round. This is especially true after trading away left tackle Laremy Tunsil earlier this year.

Unfortunately, there was a run on offensive linemen early in the first round. Will Campbell, Armand Membou, and Kelvin Banks Jr. all went off the board in the top 10. Houston was linked to Banks Jr. multiple times before the draft but could not land him.

Interior offensive linemen also flew off the board, with Tyler Booker, Grey Zabel, and Donovan Jackson all being picked before Houston went on the clock.

That said, the Texans objective did pass on drafting a tackle. Both Josh Conerly Jr. and Josh Simmons were on the board when the Texans traded away their pick.

The good news is that Houston now has plenty of ammunition to get to work on day two.

The Texans have 10 remaining selections in the draft, including five in the top 100 picks. This gives Houston plenty of flexibility to get their guys on Friday night.

Let’s not forget that Houston also added a future third-round pick in this trade.

Ultimately, I can appreciate what the Texans are trying to do. Trading down and acquiring more picks is great in theory, but you have to hit on those picks to make that strategy worthwhile.

I could easily see my grade being higher if Houston comes away from day two of the draft with an impressive haul of players.

Grade: B-

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