There is almost no consensus on where Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart will be selected in next month's NFL Draft. While it makes sense that he would be a late first or early second-round selection, NFL Draft expert Todd McShay said on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" that he could be picked as early as No. 7.
"The Jets could throw us a curveball the first night," said McShay. "Let's just get it out there now; I'm not saying it's going to happen, but I think there's a little bit of love for Jaxson Dart in that building. Let's put a 25-30 percent chance, at most, at this point (that they take him with the No. 7 pick)."
Dart was a record-setting player under center for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. He broke nearly all of Eli Manning's Ole Miss records but is still not held in the same breath as him as a professional prospect. However, there is increasing momentum that he'll be a first-round prospect and an early one at that.
In 2024, Dart completed 69.3% of his passes and threw for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns. He only tossed six interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 180.7 while also adding 495 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He is seen as a bit of a project for NFL teams because he is not a complete prospect, but he would be worth a gamble for a team like the Jets.
After losing legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason, new head coach Aaron Glenn is going to need time to rebuild the franchise the right way. Getting a young quarterback with tons of upside, like Dart, to pair with Justin Fields could be a great place to start.
Related: Jaxson Dart Predicted to Join Legendary Coach in First Round of Latest Mock Draft
Related: Ole Miss DL Predicted to Join Super Bowl Champion in ESPN Mock Draft
Related: Quinshon Judkins Disrespects Ole Miss in March Madness Bracket
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:58 PM.