Jaxson Dart, super sophomore season? The numbers from QB comps suggest that may be the case.

Jaxson Dart showed enough promise in his first NFL season for the Giants to believe he can be their franchise quarterback.

There also were flaws and reasons to question his ceiling.

Dart’s dual-threat ability made him exciting. He had nine rushing touchdowns, a franchise single-season record by a quarterback, and rushed for 487 yards. He also threw for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

However, his decision-making came under question when he was evaluated four times for concussion checks and missed two games after being diagnosed with one.

“I think the number one area you're looking for growth from Jaxson on is him learning and understanding when and when not to, and that comes from the running of the football and taking hits,” ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky told Newsday.

If the Giants are to improve upon their 4-13 record last year, Dart will be a big reason why. He not only must stay healthy but has to be an even better quarterback. It’s a responsibility he understands heading into his first full season as a starter.

“I definitely feel like I'm way ahead of where I was last year from just an experience standpoint,” said Dart, who was 4-8 as a starter. “Being able to learn conceptually NFL systems, being able to just have the leadership, being able to see things through different lenses of different positions just from obviously my experience. So that's what makes me really excited about this year."

There’s precedent for dual-threat quarterbacks to take a second-year leap. Lamar Jackson made a huge one, winning an MVP award. Josh Allen and Caleb Williams led their teams to the playoffs.

So what’s a reasonable expectation for Year 2 of Dart? A sample of what other dual-threat quarterbacks have done offers a glimpse at how Dart can improve if he stays healthy.

Second-year numbers

Jackson started seven games as a rookie in 2018. In 2019, he made 15 starts and vastly improved his passing yards (3,127, up from 1,201), rushing yards (1,206 from 695) and completion percentage (66.1%, up from 58.2%). He also threw 36 touchdown passes and six interceptions after throwing six and three, respectively, as a rookie.

Allen showed similar improvement after 11 starts as a rookie. In his second season, he threw for more yards (3,089 to 2,074) with a higher completion percentage (58.8% to 52.8%). He went from 10 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions as a rookie to 20 and nine in Year 2. However, his rushing total dipped from 631 yards (7.1 yards per carry) to 510 yards (4.7 yards per carry).

Both quarterbacks won more games. Jackson went 6-1 as a rookie starter to 13-2 in Year 2. Allen went from five to 10 wins.

Sometimes there isn’t drastic improvement despite better numbers. Cam Newton went from 6-10 as a rookie to 7-9 the next year. The former No. 1 overall pick also had a drop in passing touchdowns (21 to 19), yards (4,051 to 3,869) and completion percentage (60% to 57.7%). He had a minimal increase  in his rushing yards (706 to 741).

Russell Wilson didn't have dramatic stat changes, but he did lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in his second year (it helped that Seattle had that "Legion of Boom" defense, too).

Then there's Kyler Murray, who went from 5-10-1 as a rookie to 8-8 in his second year and had an uptick in his rushing and passing yards. 

Most recently, there's the Bears' Williams. He more than doubled his win total to 11-6 last season after going 5-12 his rookie year.

Williams went from 3,541 yards and 20 touchdown passes as a rookie to 3,942 yards and 27 touchdown passes last season while leading Chicago to the divisional round of the playoffs. His rushing total dipped from 489 yards as a rookie to 388 last season, but he led the Bears to seven fourth-quarter comeback wins.

Dart's path

Those six quarterbacks' improvements create optimism about Dart’s second season. If Dart and the Giants' offense stay healthy, Orlovsky thinks it’s reasonable to expect more than 4,000 to 4,200 total yards of offense from the quarterback.

Although John Harbaugh was the Ravens' coach during Jackson's excellent sophomore season in 2019, he’s not expecting Dart to recreate that success.

“I think the approach has been similar from the basic idea that we're trying to build an offense for Jaxson Dart that is amenable to his skill set,” Harbaugh said. "We did the same thing with Lamar, but they're different people, different quarterbacks.”

Another good sign for Dart? Four of those six quarterbacks -— Jackson, Wilson, Allen and Williams — reached the playoffs in their second year. Murray did not but was a Pro Bowl selection.

That’s a high ceiling for Dart, but there’s also a caveat — he can’t risk his body unnecessarily. He has said the right things about being smarter running the ball, but he can’t afford to take big hits that send him to  the blue medical tent.

All six of the aforementioned quarterbacks played nearly every game of their second season, which is why their teams performed so well. Dart will take hits, but it’s a matter of avoiding unnecessary ones while running the ball.

Another hurdle for Dart is the coaching change. Only one of those six quarterbacks — Williams — had to deal with a new coach and play-caller in his second season.

A new offense will present growing pains for Dart. Orlovsky compared it to being a rookie all over again and having to learn new concepts and terminology and re-program what he got used to doing last year.

“There's a lot that goes through the turnover of an offense into a big mental exhaustion and mental commitment, the responsibility that he has for it,” Orlovsky said. “But it’s in many ways starting anew, and not only learning it anew but learning to execute it when bullets are flying.”

Still, a coaching change could hinder Dart’s growth. So could receiver Malik Nabers’ health. Nabers is trending to return early in the season after suffering ACL and meniscus tears in Week 4 last season.

The Giants added more weapons with tight end Isaiah Likely and receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Darnell Mooney, but it's Nabers’ dynamic ability that can make Dart rise to another level.

It makes it even more imperative for Dart to stay healthy. He’s got the keys to the offense, and it’s on him to drive it to more success.

“I feel like it's just another opportunity for big growth,” Dart said. “And I wouldn't want it with any other coaches than we have right now, as well as any other players than the group that we have.”