Is there 'huge value' in Giants sitting Jaxson Dart behind Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston?

New York Giants defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches was with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2017 season and, thus, had a front-row seat as quarterback Patrick Mahomes spent the bulk of his rookie season sitting behind Alex Smith.

Nunez-Roches recently touched upon how the Giants want first-year pro Jaxson Dart to develop while serving as an unused backup to starter Russell Wilson and veteran Jameis Winston. 

How much value is there in having Jaxson Dart sit as a rookie?

"I see a huge value [in sitting] because yeah, I mean, in today's culture it's all about win-now. What can we do now? But for the longevity of the franchise or for the longevity of his career, for the longevity of his success, I feel like development is the best way to go," Nunez-Roche said about the Giants' handling of Dart, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. 

Calls from fans for the Giants to start Dart grew louder after Wilson completed 17-of-37 passes for 168 yards in the club's Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders back on Sept. 7. However, Wilson temporarily silenced them when he passed for 450 yards and three scores in an overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. 

That said, logic suggests the Giants will want to see what Dart is and/or isn't sooner rather than later if they keep losing. As of Wednesday morning, ESPN BET had the winless Giants as 5.5-point home underdogs for the "Sunday Night Football" showdown versus the 0-2 Chiefs. 

Giants want Jaxson Dart following in Patrick Mahomes' footsteps

According to Raanan, Smith believes the earliest Dart should start is the Giants' Week 8 game at the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 26. 

Meanwhile, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka previously served as Mahomes' quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. That experience seemingly left Kafka convinced that Dart and the Giants will benefit from the 22-year-old sitting for as long as possible. 

"Kafka told ESPN that Mahomes benefited greatly from observing Smith and that it was way more than just watching him on the field," Raanan added. "Mahomes had the benefit of watching Smith's routine, from how he digested the game plan to adjustments he made during the week to how he watched film to how he took care of his body, then modified that to his liking."

The 2017 Chiefs went 10-6 en route to qualifying for the playoffs. If Big Blue falls to Kansas City at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night, Giants head coach Brian Daboll may feel pressure to start Dart against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.