AFC, NFC coaches illustrate why Jaxson Dart has risen NFL Draft boards

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart was just one of the several quarterbacks in this draft class at the beginning of this process. However, ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft tonight, he has built his way up to being a possible first-rounder, if not QB2 overall this year.

In an evaluation and ranking by league personnel of this quarterback class from Tom Pelissero at NFL.com, Dart rising up boards and mocks makes more and more sense. Almost 1,000 words on him showed how he’s viewed as among the better prospects at the position when compared to those in this draft and in the last one coming out of this process, even making a case as one of the top overall picks on Thursday.

“He’s very accurate. He’s sneaky athletic. He makes a lot of plays. He kind of reminds me of (Michael Penix Jr.) last year. I feel like (Dart is) a little bit better thrower, he has a little more arm strength,” said a quarterbacks coach in the AFC. “If I had the No. 1 pick and I had to pick a guy and my job was on the line, I would try to get Jaxson Dart in the conversation.”

“I was watching (Tre Harris), and multiple times, I was like, Whoa, who’s the quarterback? Let me rewind that and see that f—ing throw,” an NFC coordinator said. “Jaxson is a better runner than both Cam and Sanders. He has real athletic ability, where those guys don’t at this level. And I think Jaxson plays on time more and has probably a little bit more arm ability. He’s more consistent from the pocket.”

Other pros for Dart were “a competitor”, “the toughest motherf—– there is”, a thrower of “a friendly ball. That said, there were also questions about maturity and further development as well as critiques of his college offense, including quotes saying he “just does some dumb things” and is “going to need some coaching”.

All that, though, in a lesser draft class at quarterback still has him right in the mix as the second quarterback off the board. Miami’s Cam Ward will be at No. 1 overall but Dart is there with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to be QB2 in 2025.

Dart has been one of the faster rising prospects overall this year ahead of the start of the draft. That “big upside” of his could now earn him a first-round selection later on tonight, if not one as high as in the top-ten.

“One NFC GM said Dart would’ve been in the conversation with Penix and J.J. McCarthy as the fourth or fifth quarterback in last year’s stacked QB draft, based on his arm and overall talent level,” Peliserro wrote. “Another AFC quarterbacks coach predicted Dart doesn’t get past New Orleans at No. 9 overall.”

“Dart just has some pretty cool intangibles,” another AFC GM said. “I think he’s going to go in Round 1.”