With no quarterbacks on the roster outside of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, some mock drafts are shifting toward the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a quarterback in the first round.
So, with the team sitting at 21st overall, who would be the likeliest option? Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders seem like long shots, but Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart could be the sleeper option for them.
Dart, who has flown up draft boards from a third round pick to a fringe first round pick is an option for Pittsburgh if they want to dip their toes into the quarterback market.
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN believes Dart is at least a possibility for the Steelers. Yet, Kiper actually thinks Dart has a chance to go before No. 21.
“I think Dart is in play earlier than (No. 21 overall),” Kiper said. “If he’s there, it would be really interesting. If you love him, you take him. If they don’t pull the trigger in the first round, they’ve got to wait until the third unless they move up. It’s going to be really interesting. If Dart is there (at No. 21), I say yeah, but I don’t think he will be.”
Daniel Jeremiah had the Steelers taking Dart in the first round because of their need. He thinks at some point, the team has to take a big swing at that position, but it might not be until next year.
According to Jeff Howe of the Athletic, at least two teams think Dart will go in the top half of the first round.
“Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart is a name to watch. Teams believed Dart solidified himself as a first-rounder during his week at the Senior Bowl. And last week at the combine, two teams strongly believed Dart would be taken in the top half of the opening round,” Howe wrote.
Dart’s college career saw him throw for over 7000 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions over his stops with Ole Miss and USC. His moxie instantly earned him some fans around the league, too.
Dart shined with the Ole Miss Rebels this year, throwing for over 4000 yards and leading Ole Miss to a near playoff berth. But how early will Dart go? That question remains, and if the Steelers like him enough, they might have a decision to make on the first day of the NFL Draft.
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