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The New York Giants must fix would-be franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart's "guilty" pleasure.

The New York Giants have a true franchise quarterback in the making, but only if they address Jaxson Dart’s “guilty” pleasure. It’s a habit from the former Ole Miss star’s college days he’s repeating in the NFL.

Dart’s particular on-field peccadillo involves “holding the ball a tick too long,” according to Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic. Baumgardner tied this annoying habit in the pocket to a pair of more serious problems for Dart and the Giants.

Those problems have to do with the punishment Big Blue’s QB1 takes. A footballing equivalent of masochism borne from Dart’s mental approach to playing the game’s most important position.

It’s a mindset that compares to somebody close to new Giants head coach John Harbaugh.

Jaxson Dart Must Overcome Dangerous Habit

Baumgardner focused first on what Dart’s bad habit means for the signal-caller when facing pressure, both in and out of the pocket. Simply put, Dart’s tendency to hold onto the ball made “many of the hits he absorbed last season not necessary.”

While his issues running into big hits have been well-documented, taking the safe option is also not in Dart’s DNA as a passer. Baumgardner made the comparison to John’s brother, current Los Angeles Chargers head coach and former pro quarterback, Jim Harbaugh.

As Baumgardner put it, Dart, “like Harbaugh, will basically cut his left arm off before he throws the ball away.”

This is more than an inconvenient quirk. It’s a potentially reckless attitude that could lead Dart to forcing more throws into coverage, causing needless turnovers. Something a former Giants coach called out last season.

His wait-and-be-sure approach can also lead to Dart simply ignoring open receivers to run more when he should throw. The 23-year-old has no problem moving off a first read to scamper from the pocket, but he’s been defiant about ignoring the risks of his appetite for seeking out contact from would-be tacklers.

Dart’s bravado about taking hits can’t mask the real physical impact on him, and by extension, on the Giants’ ability to move the ball. Reducing the number of designed QB runs in the playbook is the best advice for curbing Dart’s enthusiasm for mixing it with linebackers and safeties.

It’s a sensible change of plan, but Baumgardner warned new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy that “if Dart has the option to keep the ball and cut it between the tackles, he’s going to do it.”

Nagy’s attempts to refine Dart’s game, the way he did for Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, will hinge on a mental reset about risk and reward. Specifically, Dart making better choices between the two as both a runner and thrower.

Fortunately, the latter is an area where Dart already has a special talent.

Giants’ QB1 Has Platform to Be Elite

The one reason to believe Dart is headed in the right direction is how his “greatest and most repeatable asset is his natural accuracy,” according to Baumgardner. He attributes Dart’s efficiency finding the target to different experience from the player’s younger years.

Baumgardner detailed how “Dart was an all-state infielder in high school, and that baseball background shows on the football field. He throws the ball with a calm, grounded base and a quick, smooth motion every time. He changes speeds, mixes angles and delivers a very catchable ball at every level of the field. He’s also confident and talented enough to drive the football into tight windows, either between or outside the numbers.”

Putting Dart’s accuracy into context should make the Giants very excited for the next phase of his development. Especially when “since 2020, the only rookie starter with a better off-target rate than Dart is Joe Burrow.”

Comparison to three-time Pro Bowler Burrow is something Dart should welcome. Using the 2021 pass-completion percentage leader as his example can help Dart handle the adjustment to Harbaugh and Nagy’s offense.

Focusing on completions is also how Dart speeds up his processing and gets better from the pocket. The latter is a familiar item on the to-do list of any young quarterback, and Dart already has the core competency to improve in this vital area, make quicker throws and eventually shed his “guilty” pleasure.