ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has projected Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 overall in his latest Mock Draft 3.0 released Tuesday.
This marks Dart’s first appearance in Kiper’s first-round projections, adding a new name to a quarterback class that has primarily focused on Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
Last year’s draft saw six quarterbacks selected in the first round.
Kiper compared this projection to his similar late-stage forecast of Bo Nix last year, as mentioned on ESPN’s Get Up.
“First of all, last year in Mock 3, I had Bo Nix going to the team that ended up taking him, the Denver Broncos. I got talked out of that in Mock 4.0. Nobody is talking me out of this one,” Kiper told host Mike Greenberg.
Dart led the SEC in passing last season and has shown consistent improvement throughout his collegiate career. His completion percentage jumped from 61.9% as a freshman at USC to 69.3% in his final season at Ole Miss.
After throwing 11 interceptions in his first year at Ole Miss, he threw just 11 combined over the next two seasons.
OK, here’s the surprise pick. And I know the Saints just restructured Derek Carr’s contract to tie him to the team for at least one more season. But what happens after that season? New coach Kellen Moore might want a young quarterback to work with and develop over the course of 2025 before turning the offense over to him in 2026. I’m hearing more and more first-round buzz on Dart, and New Orleans seems like a good fit. He wouldn’t be forced to play right away and could learn behind Carr. This team still has a lot of roster-building decisions to make, but getting the QB of the future now does make some sense.
Dart was very accurate in Lane Kiffin’s run-pass option offense at Ole Miss, and he can cause headaches for opposing defensive coordinators with his ability to tuck and run. Dart threw for 4,279 yards and rushed for 655 more last season.
– Mel Kiper, ESPN
The Saints haven’t found a long-term replacement for Drew Brees since his retirement after the 2020 season.
With Moore taking over as head coach, the Saints could develop their future quarterback even if Dart sits behind Carr for a season.
If Kiper’s projection proves accurate, the Saints would take a significant step toward securing their quarterback position for the future.
