Mel Kiper Jr. predicts Jaxson Dart will be a top ten pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Mel Kiper Jr. made a major change in his latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft. He predicted former Ole Miss star Jaxson Dart to enter the top ten, matching the quarterback with the New Orleans Saints at No. 9.

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. Evidently, Kiper thinks it’ll be the former Rebels signal-caller, as he’s a major believer in his abilities.

“Jaxson Dart, locked into the Saints at No. 9 for me right now,” Kiper revealed, via Get Up. “… I think we look at Jaxson Dart, the improvement. Completion percentage up every year. Interceptions down, and he maintained that at five, six. Touchdowns up every year. Jaxson Dart with his legs — 1,500 rushing yards the last three years. Eight rushing touchdowns two years ago. That’s the underrated part of Jaxson Dart’s game.

“This is an NFC now adding Jayden [Daniels] and Caleb [Williams], Michael Penix Jr. — the division with Penix Jr. and two number ones overall, Baker [Mayfield] and Bryce Young. Now, you get Jaxson Dart. You’ve got to keep up with the division. The Saints get a new coach and a new quarterback coming in together.”

All told, Kiper’s thought-process on Dart makes a ton of sense. He’s also not the only one at ESPN 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.”

Time will tell where Jaxson Dart goes in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s certainly making a case to go higher than most would’ve expected earlier in the process though, so there’s no telling how much more he can rise before April rolls around.