New York Giants second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart clocks in at 21st overall in the NFL, according to The Athletic’s new “QBI” metric. Yeah, you read that right, 21st. But before you think that means he’s just average, we gotta dig into what QBI even is, because this stat is trying to tell us something big about quarterbacks that old metrics missed.
So, What’s the Deal With QBI?
Austin Mock, the genius behind this thing, broke it down. QBI is all about stripping away what the other ten guys on offense do and just crediting the quarterback for his play on a snap-by-snap basis. This isn’t some old-school stat, man, it’s looking forward. It uses play-by-play data, adjusts for the context of every single play, and it even knows who the opponent is. Basically, if the ball is in the QB’s hands, QBI is tracking it: passes, rushes, scrambles, sacks, turnovers, the works. But here’s where it gets even crazier: it adjusts for pressure, how fast that pressure got there (under 2.5 seconds!), the quality of the offensive line and receivers. It even factors out the luck of fumble recoveries, accounts for drops by receivers, and uses an expected YAC model to dish out or take away credit. Plus, it bakes in EPA, success rate, and PFF grades to get that film-room perspective. Think of it like baseball analytics, specifically wRC+, where 100 is your average QB, 101 is starter-caliber, and 130 is legit Pro Bowl stuff.
Dart’s Grade and the Shough Showdown
Dart’s QBI grade? An even 100, which puts him right at average. He’s not alone there, Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Jared Goff from the Lions also hit that 100 mark. But for last year’s rookie class, Dart was the second-highest graded, trailing only Tyler Shough, who pulled a 103 and ranked 15th overall in the NFL. Dart absolutely smoked guys like Cam Ward of the Titans (78) and Shedeur Sanders of the Browns (47), so he’s definitely not at the bottom of the barrel. What’s wild is how Dart and Shough are already playing a head game with the NFL. Dart actually led all rookie QBs in The Athletic’s annual Quarterback Tiers ranking, coming in at 24th, just nudging out Ward (25th) and Shough (tied for 26th). Here’s the kicker though: defensive coaches respect Dart way more than offensive coaches and execs, who lean towards Shough. Why the split? Dart’s game in 2025 was way more volatile. He’s the guy who thrives in chaos, who can just invent a huge play out of nothing. Shough, on the other hand, is the structured, efficient, down-to-down kind of guy. That’s probably why Shough’s QBI score is higher; fewer variables, more consistent output.
So, where does that leave Dart? He’s a wild card, a dude who can light it up in chaos, make those huge plays. Shough might be the safe bet right now, efficient and playing within structure, and the QBI metric loves that. But the fact that defensive coaches are still scared of what Dart can do? That’s the real story, man. It’ll be fascinating to watch how this plays out through the season, seeing if that chaos can translate into a higher QBI, or if Shough’s efficiency keeps him ahead.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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