Giants' first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart will take the field for the Giants on Saturday. Although head coach Brian Daboll did not specify if the Giants' starters would play against the Buffalo Bills, he did announce that Dart would make his debut for Big Blue in the preseason opener.
Dart exuded confidence about making his NFL debut, saying to the media, "I'm not scared. When I go out there, I'm going to play the game I know how to play. ... I think if you're going to play scared as a quarterback, you shouldn't be out there."
Although Russell Wilson has been named the starting quarterback this season, Dart is the Giants' plan for the future. Joe Schoen made an aggressive trade back into the first round for Dart, and he is expected to be handed the reins once Wilson's run ends in New York.
Taking live game snaps in the preseason will be an important step in his development as an NFL quarterback.
The rest of the Giants' draft class will be expected to join Dart in making their NFL debuts on Saturday, as Daboll alluded to during his press conference on Thursday.
"It's important for all the young guys to get out there and experience live action in NFL games," Daboll said. "It's their first one. It's something they'll always remember, too. ... We'll give them as many reps as we can give them. And we'll see how [Dart] does."
Third overall pick Abdul Carter will be another player for Giants fans to watch. The Penn State product has thoroughly impressed in training camp and will look to bring that to his first game, even as Bills' star quarterback Josh Allen will rest on Saturday. According to coach Sean McDermott, other starters on both sides of the ball are expected to play around a quarter of the game.
"I'm putting it all on film. I'm going out there, I'm playing, I'm doing what I do best. I'm also doing what my coach asked me to do, but at the same time, just play my game," Carter stated in advance of Saturday's game.
Other Giants rookies that are expected to make their league debuts are defensive tackle Darius Alexander, guard Marcus Mbow, and cornerback Korie Black. Cam Skattebo and Thomas Fidone II have been dealing with injuries that have been holding them out of practices, making their status questionable for Saturday.