Kirk Herbstreit: Jaxson Dart is QB3 in 2025 NFL Draft

Kirk Herbstreit watched a ton of Jaxson Dart throughout the quarterback’s time at Ole Miss, and he believes the former Rebels star could be the third signal-caller selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The group-think is Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be the first two quarterbacks off the board, but the next option after that duo is anyone’s guess. Dart’s name has been thrown out there, along with players like Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe. Herbstreit believes the former Ole Miss signal-caller deserves the spit though.

“I would probably give Jaxson Dart the nod,” Herbstreit proclaimed, regarding the next quarterback after Ward and Sanders, via The Pat McAfee Show. “You know, he started his career at USC, before he transferred over to Ole Miss. I think he’s got a presence. He’s got an offense that I think — that’s the thing I really want to see with him, is the ability to be able to show what he can do, when it comes to what we talked about earlier with J.J. McCarthy, not just throwing a ball around, but being able to go to that next level, with how sophisticated these NFL offenses are. Being able to read coverage, being able to get the ball out. Whether you’re under-center, whether you’re in gun.

“I think, you know, he obviously helped himself with, what he did in this past week. I think his game film — like, to be able to go up into the first round. They’re going to really study every aspect of his game when it comes to, can he be that franchise guy? He’s an athlete. He really — I mean, he can go. He’ll surprise you.”

Herbstreit isn’t the only one who’s seeing Dart’s star rise. The former Rebels star snuck into the first round in the latest mock draft from Field Yates of ESPN. He believes it’ll be a smooth transition for the quarterback into the NFL, and that’s why teams will be interested in him.

“I think it’s Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss, who broke Eli Manning’s school record for passing yards this past season,” Yates said on SportsCenter. “He’s got a ton of experience. He began his college career at USC, finished up at Ole Miss, and he had a brilliant game to cap his college career against Duke in the bowl game. Good athlete, he can throw on the run as well. It’s going to be a transition, because the offense he played in at Ole Miss does not look a whole lot like most NFL offenses. 

“That being said, when you combine the athleticism and the accuracy, I do think there’s a chance that by the time it’s all said and done, he sneaks into the first round. I had him going 21st overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in my most recent mock draft.”

All told, predicting which players will become franchise quarterbacks has become a tough art over the last couple of seasons, but Jaxson Dart will certainly have a chance, it seems. Kirk Herbstreit is a believer, and it’s evident there’s a myriad of other pundits coming around to the idea, as well.