Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has emerged as one of the biggest draft stock risers in recent weeks. In what many consider one of the weakest quarterback classes in years, Dart is now projected as the third quarterback to be taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, behind Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Dart has always had the tools to succeed, but late-season mistakes that hurt the Rebels’ College Football Playoff chances initially damaged his draft stock. His Senior Bowl performance—completing 2-of-4 passes for 41 yards and running for a touchdown—appears to have renewed interest from NFL scouts.
For months, Dart was viewed as a second-round prospect. Now he’s appearing in first-round mock drafts.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco projects Dart going No. 21 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, even if they sign Aaron Rodgers.
“It doesn’t matter if they get Aaron Rodgers or not, they have to address the quarterback of the future,” Prisco wrote. “Dart could watch for a year as he adjusts to the NFL and then take over. Rodgers would be a stop-gap fix anyway.”
The Steelers currently have just two quarterbacks on their roster—Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson—neither considered long-term starters. Rodgers is heavily favored to sign with Pittsburgh, with the team aggressively pursuing him.
Pittsburgh has struggled at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Last season, they brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Fields is now with the New York Jets, while Wilson remains a free agent.
The Steelers might not get the chance to draft Dart at No. 21, though.
“My guess is we get three [quarterbacks] in the top 15,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Monday on The Pat McAfee Show.
If that projection holds, the Steelers would need to trade up to land last year’s SEC passing leader.
The potential pairing of Rodgers and Dart presents an intriguing scenario for Steelers fans. Rodgers, even at 41, can still make a team competitive with the right supporting cast—and Pittsburgh has built a solid core. Grooming Dart behind a future Hall of Famer for a year or two could make this one of the most important offseasons in recent years for the franchise.
However, the Steelers might have to “settle” for just Rodgers if Dart’s draft stock continues to rise. But even that’s no guarantee right now.
