2025 NFL Draft: ESPN evaluates Jaxson Dart fit with Pittsburgh Steelers

It seems like this is the time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to swing on a quarterback and Jaxson Dart is that guy in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The former Ole Miss signal caller is getting more buzz as a potential first round pick, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. While it’s not Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders buzz, he’s rising up boards.

If the Steelers want a reset and a guy who can breathe new life at the position, Dart might be the guy.

“There’s some whispers right now, the streets are definitely talking about the potential for a third quarterback going in round one,” Yates said on ESPN’s First Draft. “And that quarterback being Jaxson Dart … Mel, I believe fundamentally, the Pittsburgh Steelers owe it to themselves … to swing at quarterback. So they lost their final five games of this past season, four in the regular season and 28-14, to the Ravens. That game was not that close. But in those four concluding games of the regular season that they lost, Russell Wilson failed to throw for even 220 yards in any of them. 

“This offense is not good enough through the air. They’re okay on the ground, but the bottom line is, this offense is not good enough in general. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents this off season. If one is signed, they probably don’t go with the quarterback in the first round. But for now, they’re not signed. I get it. There are some limiting factors here at Jaxson Dart, but I had Bo Nix in this same slot, around the same mock last year.”

Dart set career highs across the board in his final season with Ole Miss. He threw for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 69.3% completion percentage.

After six games during his freshman year at USC, Dart transferred to Ole Miss and took off under Lane Kiffin. Over the course of his career, Dart has 11,970 yards, 81 touchdowns, 27 interceptions and a 65.2% completion percentage.

That’s not even accounting for his rushing totals. He has 1,541 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in his career.

As a member of the Class of 2021, Dart was a four-star recruit out of Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, the No. 7 quarterback in the class and the No. 42 overall prospect in the class.