Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is one of the top prospects in an admittedly weak 2025 NFL Draft class. Blessed with a strong arm and the willingness to push the ball downfield, the quarterback finished the 2024 season while completing 69.2% of his passes for 4,276 yards, 29 touchdowns, and six interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he led all of college football in deep passing yards (1,517) and did a remarkable job of keeping the ball out of harm’s way despite aggressively pushing the ball downfield with an 11.9 average depth of target.
Of course, the Ole Miss offense will not work at the NFL level, which is the biggest reason why most draft pundits expect him to go off the board late in the second round or early in the third. While his strong Senior Bowl performance could elevate his draft capital, it’s hard to envision anyone selecting him as anything other than a high-upside backup. With this in mind, the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens should be interested in drafting him.
Saints, Ravens Should Consider Jaxson Dart in the NFL Draft
Nobody knows exactly what the Saints will do with the quarterback position. While Derek Carr is still under contract, the longtime Raider isn’t a long-term answer under center. Carr played well when healthy last year, but he’s never been capable of elevating a flawed roster to contention, and the Saints have needs throughout the roster. The offensive line is one of the worst in football, the secondary lacks game-changing talent, and the pass rush is getting old.
Carr said he won’t accept a pay cut, so the Saints could trade him to the New York Giants. However, even if he sticks around, it’s hard to envision him returning in 2026. Fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler had his moments as a rookie, but he didn’t do enough to be the face of the franchise. Jaxson Dart has considerably more upside and deserves a shot under a great offensive mind in presumed first-year head coach Kellen Moore. Ideally, he’ll spend a year on the bench before fighting to start in 2026.
Reliable Backups
Jaxson Dart is an intriguing NFL Draft prospect, but he will never compete with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson for the starting job. However, that doesn’t mean the team shouldn’t have any interest in bringing him aboard. The starting quarterback is the most important position on all 32 teams, but there’s a case to be made that the backup quarterback is the second most important position. A good backup can make or break a season in a worst-case scenario, and Baltimore does not have a good Plan B as of this posting.
After losing Tyler Huntley to the Cleveland Browns and, later, the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore entrusted the backup job to career journeyman Josh Johnson. At his best, Johnson was never good enough to last in the league, and the veteran was playing in his age-38 season. Fortunately, the Ravens never needed him to play meaningful snaps, but he likely would’ve sunk the team if he had to start for an extended period.
Nobody can replace Lamar Jackson over a 17-game season. However, the Ravens need someone capable of keeping the ship afloat if Jackson misses a month with an injury. Seeing as the team has limited cap space and might not be able to afford a quality veteran, they could select Jaxson Dart in the NFL Draft and have a cost-controlled backup for the next four years.
Main Photo: Vasha Hunt – Imagn Images
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