Buzz had been building about a potential Shedeur Sanders slide leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but few expected someone else to be the second quarterback off the board.
Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart was instead the second quarterback selected, as the Giants traded up to take him No. 25 overall, leaving Sanders waiting even longer to hear his name called.
Dart was a late riser throughout the draft process, but what made New York take him over Sanders?
Here's what you need to know about Dart jumping Sanders on Thursday night.
SN's NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Top 250 big board
Why was Jaxson Dart drafted before Shedeur Sanders?
There is often a fine line between the quarterbacks NFL teams consider franchise-caliber players and those who aren't, but evaluators seem to be split on Dart.
The Ole Miss quarterback rocketed up draft boards in the spring, but few believed he would end up as the second quarterback selected. When it comes to the draft, however, all it takes is one team to fall in love with a prospect. If the Giants believed all along that Dart has the possibility to be a long-term starter, it only makes sense that they go all-in on him.
Dart has some elements of a franchise quarterback. He has requisite NFL size, impressive arm strength, and solid athleticism, drawing comparisons to fellow NFC East signal-caller Jalen Hurts. Decision-making was a problem in some critical moments of games at Ole Miss, but that is something the Giants likely believe they can fix.
Sanders' fall might be just as much of a factor in that reality than Dart's rise.
Once considered a likely top-10 pick, Sanders' status as a first-rounder was questioned in the days leading up to the draft.
One anonymous AFC executive recently told Fox Sports that Sanders was "not special to me," while Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported he was "having a really hard time" finding coaches and scouts who had the Colorado star graded as a first-round prospect.
DeCOURCY: Shedeur Sanders the latest victim of anonymous sources
As it turns out, that buzz was right. The Giants studied Sanders more than any team, following him to every major pre-draft event, and recently hosting a workout with him, and they came away with the determination that Dart was the better prospect.
Jaxson Dart vs. Shedeur Sanders stats
Here's a look at how Dart and Sanders compared in 2024, by the numbers:
| Jaxson Dart | Stat | Shedeur Sanders |
| 13 | Starts | 13 |
| 69.3% | Comp. rate | 74.0% |
| 4,279 | Yards | 4,134 |
| 29 | TD | 37 |
| 6 | INT | 10 |
| 10.8 | Yards per att. | 8.7 |
| 495 | Rush yards | -50 |
| 3 | Rush TD | 4 |
Dart and Sanders each made 13 starts in 2024, with Sanders posting a better completion rate and throwing for more touchdowns but Dart throwing fewer interceptions and racking up more yards.
Dart averaged 10.8 yards per pass attempt, more than two yards better than Sanders, and he flashed the mobility Sanders never did with 495 yards on the ground.
Ole Miss went 10-3 with Dart, while Colorado was 9-4 with Sanders as both teams fell short of the College Football Playoff.