byJohn Schmeelk,Dan Salomone&Matt Citak

The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

QB Russell Wilson has been what you expected on and off the field since the Giants signed him.

John Schmeelk: FactHe has checked every box. He looks just like the player I thought he would on the field, down to the way the ball comes out of his hand and the trajectory that it takes on the way to his receiver. I also expected him to be a great leader, but even with that caveat, I've been taken aback by the effusive praise heaped upon him by his teammates. The number of genuine responses from every single teammate that has talked about him is unlike anything I have heard in my 18 years working for the team. The level to which his teammates appreciate his clear and direct communication and believe how much he cares about them is something I haven't heard about an individual player on the Giants. And every teammate says the same exact things about him, almost verbatim, which speaks to his consistency. We'll see what it looks like on the field when the real football starts, but his impact on the locker room has already been significant.

Dan Salomone: FactI had high expectations for him, and the 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion has done nothing but live up to his resume. To Schmeelk's point, every person has talked about how "purposeful" he is with his communication. He has taken command of the team in every facet. He also still clearly has the tangibles, particularly on the deep passes.

Matt Citak: FactWilson came to the Giants with a glowing reputation as a leader and teammate, and while he's only been in the building for a few months now, this has already been on full display. The way he props up his teammates no matter the situation is something that will benefit this team, especially with so many young, talented playmakers on both sides of the ball. On the field, Wilson throws the ball with tremendous accuracy, which we've seen for years, and with great power. Whether it's a short screen pass or a deep shot down the field, you can see Wilson's strength every time he releases the ball. He doesn't make mistakes often, which is refreshing to see from the quarterback position. Overall he's left me impressed with the start of his Giants career.

QB Jaxson Dart has been what you expected on and off the field since the Giants drafted him.

John Schmeelk: FactThis will be a good preview of "25 questions in 25 days" coming up in the next few weeks on Giants.com. From a physical standpoint, he looks just like the guy I watched on tape and live in Mobile during the draft process. The arm talent and the athleticism both check out as NFL-level traits. All reports indicated he would impress with his leadership and competitiveness, and that has been the case as well. Easy fact.

Dan Salomone: FictionHe has been more. As a Big Ten guy, I don't watch every game in the big, bad SEC. So, I had some catching up to do. I'm going "fiction" here just because I came into it with a blank slate and didn't know exactly what to expect. My first impression was "that's a Daboll guy." He has that fire to lay it all on the line, which endears him to his teammates. Now Dart gets to benefit from proven veterans and coaches who know a thing or two about putting together a plan to develop rookie quarterbacks.

Matt Citak: FactDart has been as advertised thus far. Since being drafted, the young quarterback has expressed a level of confidence in himself that you like to see from the quarterback position. This confidence was evident during team drills along with his press conferences with the media. On the field, Dart has looked like a promising rookie quarterback. There have been some throws he's made where it is easy to understand why he was a first-round pick, and other plays that remind you he's still 22 years old and hasn't taken a snap in the NFL yet. There is a learning curve for rookies in the NFL, and Dart is finding his way through it right now. But so far, I will say I have been impressed with the limited action we've seen from him.

S Dane Belton was the defensive standout of spring.

John Schmeelk: FictionI will allow Citak to wax poetic about Belton, who has more takeaways and has gotten his hands on the football more than anyone else during the spring. I'll give you a couple other names that stood out to me. Cor'Dale Flott has probably made more plays on the ball than any other cornerback. Chauncey Golston has been all over the place making plays in the backfield and batting down balls at the line of scrimmage. Abdul Carter has been as explosive with his get-off and as bendy as advertised. The defense has been impressive, and I can't wait to see what they will do when the pads come on.

Dan Salomone: FactHe plundered the most possessions for defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's turnover chest this spring. No matter how much or how little he plays, Belton just seems to find the gold.

Matt Citak: FactThis one is easy. With no contact allowed during the spring, it would be difficult to give this honor to any of the guys up front, despite Abdul Carter showing some serious flashes during team drills. Belton had multiple interceptions throughout OTAs and minicamp, including on one of the final plays of the spring. After the ball was deflected off Art Green's helmet, Belton made a great play on the ball and got his feet down before stepping out of bounds. The fourth-year safety added the most treasure to the takeaway chest this spring, which hopefully is a sign of what is to come this fall.

WR Jalin Hyatt was the offensive standout of spring.

John Schmeelk: FactAs much as I like to be a contrarian, I can't go with anyone other than Hyatt. He not only has a high volume of catches, but he also gotten them on a wide variety of routes. A decent percentage have also been made on big plays down the field. He has built quick chemistry with Russell Wilson and told me during our player interview series on the "Giants Huddle" podcast that he is up to 190 pounds, which is about 20 pounds heavier than he played last year. I cannot wait to see how that strength helps him when we get into training camp and regular-season situations when physical defensive backs can put their hands on him at the line of scrimmage and down the field.

Dan Salomone: FictionDarius Slayton deserves a shoutout here. He is the longest-tenured player on offense but looks as fresh as ever.

"I definitely think that we have a lot of new energy, period," Slayton said. "Just in the quarterback room, in the receiver room. We've had some of our young guys, UDFA guys who came in and played really good ball. So, I think that's probably part of it. Now I'm older, just kind of feeling the youth, life of youth around me."

Furthermore, it has validated his decision to re-sign with the team that drafted him in 2019.

"For sure," Slayton agreed. "Obviously, I came back, I was confident in the direction that we were going to go in and obviously once we make the acquisitions, obviously a lot of people mostly focus on the quarterback position. Once we acquire the guys we have now, that obviously just raised the confidence level. We have a chance to be a really, really good offense."

Matt Citak: FictionHyatt certainly had a strong spring, as his connection with Wilson looks to be developing nicely. But I have to go with the veteran quarterback as the offensive standout of the spring. Wilson impressed me with his accuracy, power, and his overall command of the offense. He's only been in this system for a few months now and already seems to have a great understanding of it. And while we knew his famous "moon ball" passes have been a strength of his for years, it was encouraging to see him do it over and over again throughout the spring, and to different receivers. It will be great to see what he can do in the passing game once Malik Nabers returns to the field, as well.

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