The NFL offseason is rolling, and Sean McVay just pushed his chips to the center. The Rams’ mastermind, fresh off reviving Matthew Stafford’s career à la George Foreman’s grill comeback, is now flirting with a bold draft move. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin lurks across the table, eyeing the same prize…
A 11,970-yard cannon-armed prospect named Jaxson Dart. It’s a showdown as tantalizing as a bottomless Sunday tailgate, and the stakes? Nothing less than the future of two franchises. Meanwhile, Los Angeles isn’t just shopping for groceries. They’re hunting for a quarterback heir.
Stafford, 37, is playing on borrowed time, and McVay—ever the strategist—knows the clock’s ticking. And there you have Dart, Ole Miss’s golden-armed gunslinger, who lit up the SEC like a Fourth of July fireworks show. Besides, Sean McVay doesn’t just develop quarterbacks.
He elevates them. Jared Goff became a Pro Bowler under him. Stafford won a Super Bowl. Now, ESPN’s Mina Kimes argues Dart could be next: “He has a lot to learn. I’d love for him, Dart, to end up with a team like the Rams where he can sit for a year because I do think it would help a great deal.” Think Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordan Love, but with Hollywood glitz. Drafting Dart at No. 26 makes sense… if McVay’s willing to gamble. But here’s the issue.
The Rams’ defense bled against the run last year. Skipping a Day 1 linebacker or cornerback for a clipboard-holding QB? That’s like ordering salad at a steakhouse. However, McVay’s track record whispers ‘trust the process.’ Former GM Mike Tannenbaum agrees…
NFL DRAFT #OleMiss QB Jaxson Dart has interest from the #Saints #Steelers and , #Rams pic.twitter.com/BDWD7vvynu
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) March 30, 2025
“Dart excelled in Lane Kiffin’s scheme at Ole Miss, throwing 72 touchdown passes over his three years in Oxford… Dart has a sturdy lower frame and really good movement skills, and he has a lot of upside… If I’m taking over the Rams’ GM role today, I’m absolutely eyeing the future,” Tannenbaum wrote last week. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford’s restructured deal hints at a short leash. Besides, you don’t restructure a legend unless you’re eyeing the exit ramp.
Pro-Dart: McVay’s QB magic + Stafford’s mentorship = ideal incubator. Rookie contracts are gold.
Anti-Dart: Wasted pick if Stafford plays 2+ years. Immediate defensive needs scream louder.
Former coach Charlie Weis summed up Dart’s appeal on March 22: “Finding the right QB to lead your team in the NFL is a complex process… Do they have the “IT” factor. One example is Jaxson Dart. He does which is why he is a 1st rounder.” But as Moneyball taught us, chemistry beats star power. And here’s the twist.
The Rams are also linked to ex-Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White, a defensive Swiss Army knife. Can Sean McVay juggle both needs? Or will this draft turn into a Top Chef disaster?
Is Kyzir White McVay’s underrated fixer?
While QB chatter dominates, the Rams’ linebacker room screams for help. Christian Rozeboom’s gone. Ernest Jones was traded. Enter Kyzir White—a former safety turned tackling machine. Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton calls him “arguably the best linebacker available after the early waves of free agency,” citing his 74.4 passer rating allowed in coverage. White’s no Luke Kuechly, but he’s a Band-Aid for a defense that ranked 16th against the run (via Statmuse).
The problem is, White’s 29. He’s a rental, not a cornerstone. Yet, in a division where the 49ers and Seahawks feast on weak links, even rentals matter. “White has blossomed into an impactful three-down defender who can line up in the middle, on the strong side or the weak side at his position,” Moton adds. For a team built on “F them picks” swagger, ignoring defense feels… un-Rams-like.
Pro-White: Veteran stability. Affordable. Fills a gaping hole.
Anti-White: Short-term fix. Limits draft flexibility.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Los Angeles Rams at New York Jets Dec 22, 2024 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay coaches against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. East Rutherford MetLife Stadium New Jersey USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBradxPennerx 20241222_bjp_ae5_035
McVay faces a legacy-defining choice. Draft Dart, and he risks alienating Stafford while ignoring defense. Pass on him, and the Rams might face a post-Stafford purgatory. It’s a catch-22 sharper than a Haliburton play-action. Meanwhile, Kyzir White waits—a low-risk, high-reward Band-Aid. But Band-Aids don’t win titles. As philosopher Yogi Berra once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Will McVay bet on Jaxson Dart’s arm or White’s grit? Possibly both? The NFC West is watching.
The post NFL Rumors: Sean McVay Joins Mike Tomlin in 11,970-Yard Prospect Chase As Rams Linked With Ex-Cardinals LB appeared first on EssentiallySports.
