Giants QB Jaxson Dart could have been a Saint

In another universe Jaxson Dart could have been in New Orleans well before Sunday’s game against the Saints.

The Saints needed a quarterback in last spring’s draft and held the No. 9 pick. Dart met with them multiple times in the pre-draft process and had good things to say about their new coach, Kellen Moore.

Still, the Saints took offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.

No big deal because Dart was happy to land with the Giants and enjoy his first win as an NFL starter last weekend. 

“I definitely feel like that was a place that could’ve panned out. But things didn’t work out that way,” Dart said Wednesday. “I love it here. There’s not a place I’d rather be. I love just how passionate people are here outside the facility, within the facility. I like the attitude the East Coasters have. It’s a lot of fun.”

Still, there’s a bit of get-back Dart wouldn’t mind dishing out. The Giants already want payback after losing at home to the Saints last year when a potential score-tying field goal was blocked.

Dart could add to that by showing the Saints what they could’ve had instead of drafting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round. Shough is currently the backup to starter Spencer Rattler.

“I think that there's always a chip on your shoulder anytime that something like that happens,” said Dart. “But yeah, I'm just gonna go out there and play it as hard as I can.”

With all the postgame chatter after his first start, Dart offered his own assessment. He could’ve done better to avoid some of the five sacks he took. Those hits did more, he said, than the ones he took running on third down.

At practice, he wore Kinesio tape on the left hamstring that bothered him last Sunday but was listed as a full participant. Dart didn’t regret not sliding or avoiding contact on runs, save for his long run wiped away by penalty where he tried to stiff arm a defender and was promptly thrown to the turf.

“Maybe that's not the smartest [thing to do] with my throwing hand,” Dart said with a laugh. “I didn't really like the way he was looking at me."

He’ll get a chance to improve on that in his first road test. This week, the Giants tried to re-create the crowd noise by pumping in extra sound at practice.

That's common around the league, but it’s new for Dart. 

“You simulate it and try to do the best you can here at practice,” coach Brian Daboll said. “But it's definitely one of the keys in terms of being able to communicate, operate, stay on track and eliminate some of the pre-snap things that [happen] when you play in a dome stadium that’s loud.”

Dart didn’t think the crowd would rattle him after playing in loud SEC stadiums in college. He does, however, find one advantage to playing indoors.

“The ball comes out better in those environments," he said. "So, just excited for it.”

Will Giants add third RB Sunday?

The Giants only had two active running backs against the Chargers: Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary. With Tyrone Tracy (shoulder) not practicing Wednesday, Daboll didn’t say if that plan would continue this week.

“Those two guys have done a nice job for us,” Daboll said of Skattebo and Singletary. "And we just did what we thought we needed to do relative to the roster, composition of the team.”

Tracy is expected to miss 1-3 more weeks, which could open an opportunity for Dante Miller.  Miller played well in the preseason but was waived and later signed to the practice squad.

Daboll said Miller was recently named scout team player of the week. But any conversations on bringing him to the active roster are still ongoing.

“We’ll talk about that throughout the week,” Daboll said.

Injury updates

In addition to Tracy, DE Dexter Lawrence (illness), S Tyler Nubin (groin) and G Greg Van Roten (rest) didn’t practice Wednesday. 

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.