NFC Notes: Jaxson Dart, A.J. Brown, Cowboys Draft Visits, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

Eagles

  • Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes that he would be surprised to see the Eagles trade WR A.J. Brown before the 2026 NFL Draft, and a “soft deadline” could be during the first night of the draft so Philadelphia could acquire a “first-rounder and then some.”
  • Jones points out that it makes more sense for Philadelphia to trade Brown after June 1, given that dealing him before then would incur a $20 million cap hit. 

Giants

  • The energy is high around the Giants following their addition of HC John Harbaugh, knowing they have QB Jaxson Dart. Connor Hughes of SNY cites one source within the organization who said people are “fired up” to have Harbaugh and Dart going into 2026: “Hard not to be fired up right now. Hall of Fame coach … and a franchise quarterback.”
  • Hughes points out that the Giants had unsuccessful attempts in 2025 to trade for Rams QB Matthew Stafford and up to the No. 1 overall pick to take Cam Ward. Hughes reports that some within New York favored Shedeur Sanders over Dart.
  • One high-ranking evaluator told Hughes that he had Dart as a third-round pick from a physical standpoint: “Third round. If judging entirely on physical ability.”
  • What set Dart apart was his leadership ability. One source commented to Hughes that teammates rally around the quarterback: “[He has] something that guys just rally behind.”
  • One offensive coach said Dart was extremely impressive during the interview process: “Once we got in the room with him. You got it. He wins you over. He’s the player you bet on to figure it all out in spite of other limitations.”
  • Another offensive coach preferred Dart over Ward: “I liked him more than Ward. The fact he went later was just a plus. The guy is a plus-starter in the right system.”
  • Another anonymous offensive coach compared Dart’s drive to other quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Bo Nix: “You see guys across the league who are competitive, tough leaders. Guys like Josh (Allen), Bo (Nix). As rookies, you saw those traits in their game. They weren’t polished quarterbacks by any stretch, but those attributes stood out. Josh and Bo, they took the second steps when everything else caught up. They figured out how to play quarterback. It’s what separates them from someone like Paxton Lynch. Will Jaxson take that next step? You can see the guy loves football. Those guys are usually the ones who figure it out.”
  • Dart had an issue taking hits in 2025, leaving games five times to be evaluated for concussions. One anonymous head coach points out that Dart must improve his self-preservation: “That has to improve. Self preservation.”

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