Mel Kiper Jr. passionately combats Jaxson Dart to Steelers in Field Yates latest mock draft

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Field Yates has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 21 overall. Russell Wilson is likely gone this offseason, leaving Justin Fields as the main option. Yates believes Pittsburgh is in need of somebody who can elevate the franchise, getting back to contending for the Super Bowl.

“There is a ceiling vs. floor that Pittsburgh has seemingly had in recent years,” Yates said Tuesday. “‘We get a floor of a quarterback, we can make the playoffs.’ I’m not worried about the playoffs anymore for the Steelers. I’m worried about the Lombardi Trophy. That’s the kind of organizational excellence that Pittsburgh is after. And after losing five straight playoff games, it’s time for them to try something different and go young at quarterback.”

Mel Kiper could not have disagreed with the pick more. Not because he doubts the ability of Dart. In fact, Dart is still the third quarterback on Kiper’s board, only sitting behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. This has nothing to do with the talent of Dart.

If it were him running the Steelers, Kiper would roll into next season with Fields as the starting quarterback. He believes the potential is still there after finding success early in the 2024 season and a little continuity will go a long way with the soon-to-be fifth-year player.

“I like him as QB3 but I don’t like him to the Steelers,” Kiper said. “… Justin Fields, much higher graded coming out of college than Jaxson Dart will have. Justin Fields was a steal getting him from Chicago for a late-round pick. Mike Tomlin had him for a year and saw he is a leader…

“He’s got all the talent in the world, super competitive. 4-2 as a starter, should have been 6-0 if the defense would have done their job. He’s young, he’s talented, he wants to be in the same system for back-to-back years. For me, you got your quarterback.”

Kiper did suggest an alternative, saying the Steelers should be tracking a wide receiver in the first round. Ohio State‘s Emeka Egbuka and Luther Burden III of Missouri were the two names mentioned. This would give Fields another weapon to go alongside George Pickens.

Dart has been a riser recently in the NFL Draft process. A strong Senior Bowl has put him on the radar for teams potentially needing a quarterback in the first round. Hearing his name called on Thursday night is a strong possibility for Dart but Kiper is hoping it’s not coming from the Pittsburgh Steelers.