Jaxson Dart
Credit: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Most draft analysts suggest there are only two quarterbacks worth a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Those two would be Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
So, where does that leave Jaxson Dart? The Ole Miss QB has one of the most widespread draft projections of the entire class. Some suggest he’s a second-round pick, while others feel like the desperation of QB-needy teams could push Dart into the first round, but even those projections typically place Dart in the back half of the first round.
Not this one.
Related: 2025 NFL mock draft: April draft projections for first and second rounds
ESPN’s Matt Miller suggests New Orleans Saints could draft Jaxson Dart at 9
Jaxson Dart
Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Where will Jaxson Dart get drafted? It’s far too early to tell, but ESPN’s draft expert Matt Miller recently laid out an extremely aggressive placement for the Ole Miss QB during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams.
Specifically, Miller stated that he believes the New Orleans Saints, who have the ninth overall pick, could be in play for Dart in the first round.
NFL Draft Rumor!
This QB prospect could go in the top 10 to the Saints. 👀@heykayadams | @nfldraftscout pic.twitter.com/myILHyQCSN
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 2, 2025
Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr is set to return for his third season as the Saints’ starter, but he has just two seasons left on his contract and rumors have persisted that New Orleans may want to find a potential long-term franchise QB in the near future.
Carr just turned 34, but he remains an above-average starter, which is more than some teams can say about the leader in their QB room. Still, if the Saints believe Dart can be even better than Carr, he’d be worth considering in the first round.
Related: NFL team needs 2025: Identifying Round 1 targets for all 32 teams in the 2025 NFL Draft