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The NFL's legal tampering period is underway, and the Cleveland Browns have already begun rebuilding their quarterback room. They are moving on from Dorian Thompson-Robinson, trading him and a draft pick to the Eagles for former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. But that isn't going to be the end. Regardless of who they bring in before the draft, I still feel strongly that they will draft one. The question is how high.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is one of the more polarizing prospects in this year's class. Opinions about Dart are all over the place. Some think he is awful, while others have even said he is the second-best quarterback in this year's draft.
I had a tough time finalizing Dart's report. He looked like an NFL franchise-caliber quarterback in some games, while in others, he folded in big moments when the pressure was on. One interesting pro comp I saw was from the 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbes who compared Dart to Bo Nix of the Broncos, and I can see why he did.
Dart played high school football at Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah, and had a phenomenal senior season, making him a four-star recruit. He won the 2020 Gatorade National Player of the Year Award and the Max Preps National Player of the Year. During his insane senior season, Dart threw for 4,691 yards and 67 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,195 yards and 12 more touchdowns. Dart started his collegiate career at USC for one season before transferring to Ole Miss.
Measurements (Official From NFL Combine):
6'2", 223 lbs, 30" Arms, 9-½" Hands
Jaxson Dart By the Numbers:
2021 with USC: 61.9% completion for 1.353 yards, nine passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. 43 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
2022 with Ole Miss: 62.4% completion for 2,974 yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. 614 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown.
2023 with Ole Miss: 65.1% completion for 3,364, 23 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. 389 rushing yards with eight rushing touchdowns.
2024: 69.3% completion for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and six interceptions. 495 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Strengths:
Above Average Arm
Above Average Athlete
Thrives In Structure
One thing to note about Jaxson Dart is his continued improvement in college and the fact that he is still 21. He's a young quarterback with a lot of starting experience, which will make him more appealing to NFL teams. Reports out of the NFL Combine showed that he is, in fact, higher on NFL teams' big boards than he is on fans and media. Watching his tape, I did come away seeing the vision for Dart more so than I did when I started.
Dart has an above-average arm, can attack a defense at all three levels, and understands when to throw with touch and with velocity. He doesn't have the biggest arm in the class and his deep ball is inconsistent but he can attack a defense vertically and drive the ball outside the numbers well. Then you add his athleticism, Ole Miss called designed quarterback runs often and Dart was effective. But when you mix his ability to move with his arm strength, you get a guy who can extend plays and make difficult throws on the run.
Dart is fantastic working inside the structure of the offense. He can throw from multiple different arm angles and does a good job getting the ball out of his hands quickly and on time, shades of Bo Nix at Oregon. Kevin Stefanski does a great job scheming open wide receivers and giving quarterbacks easy answers and Dart is great in those situations. He's a great rhythm and timing thrower and still has more potential with good coaching and development.
Weaknesses/Negatives:
Played In QB Friendly/Not A Pro Style Offense
Locks Onto First Read
Inconsistent In Big Moments
During his time at Ole Miss, Dart played in an incredibly quarterback-friendly offense. The offense uses many simple and quick routes designed to give the quarterback easy answers and take what the defense gives them. He played pretty exclusively in the shotgun and doesn't have experience under center or running a more pro style/complex offense. My biggest concern with him is the learning curve at the next level and whether he can read NFL defenses and run a pro-style offense because we haven't seen him do it.
As a result of the offense, Dart often locks onto his first read, and when it isn't open, he hesitates to get off that read and complete his progressions. That doesn't mean there isn't tape showing he can complete his progressions; there is, but he struggles more often than not if the first option is taken away. This usually leads to him bailing a clean pocket and trying to make a more difficult throw on the run than is necessary.
The biggest moments that trailed in the fourth quarter were when Dart struggled the most. With all his playing experience, you would like to see him better in this situation. If he is going to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL, he needs to be calm under pressure in these situations. Again, he is only 21 years old so plenty of development and improvement can happen but there are some major questions about his game. Physically Dart has all the tools to be a good NFL quarterback, but for me he remains a Day Two prospect in April.