Well, Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin has been the biggest fan of his former quarterback Jaxson Dart. “We are blessed to have you as a teammate,” was the head coach’s message as Dart confirmed his switch to the pro league. Not just Kiffin, Dart got big praise from the NFL legend Eli Manning, too. The 2x Super Bowl winner was impressed with the Ole Miss quarterback’s feat at the Manning Passing Academy. He stated, “Seems like a great kid and got a good head on his shoulders and excited about his future.”
However, the present trajectory of Dart came as a big surprise. He is likely to beat the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback sensation, Shedeur Sanders, in the NFL race. But a New Orleans Saints reporter shared his take on whether this move will be possible for the ex-Ole Miss quarterback or not.
Jaxson Dart’s leap over Shedeur Sanders leaves reporter upset
The mock drafts come off as a trailer to the main NFL Draft blockbuster. Turns out that Dart is likely to be the “wild card” in this year’s draft. Going by the buzz, Kiffin’s ‘dark horse’ is likely to be the No.3 signal-caller pick. The top three quarterback picks are Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Dart. Now, what does the NFL Draft guru Todd McShay have to say about the current situation? Well, he revealed his latest mock-up with Dart jumping Sanders as QB2. As per his projections, the New Orleans Saints will select Dart with the No. 9 pick in the first round. In that case, Deion Sanders’ son will land with the Cleveland Browns as the No.15 pick after they traded up. But this projection did not sit well with Saints insider, Nick Underhill.
I’d be surprised by Dart at 9 https://t.co/wGUkJdUBQs
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) April 11, 2025
Already, there is enough rage on X about how Shedeur is left behind despite having proven himself throughout the 2024 season. The Buffs QB went from being the most sacked player (52 times) in 2023 to holding the first rank in Colorado single-season passing yards (4,134) and 1st in Colorado single-season completion percentage (74.0%). On April 10, an X user wrote, “It’s kinda crazy it feels like it sanders or bust… never seen so much hype around him, people gonna freak if it’s Dart over sanders. We might not even pick one that early.” Underhill took this comment up to share his firm take. He wrote, “I’d be surprised by Dart at 9.”
The X user had some more confusion as he shared, “So you’re telling me they’re no gonna take a quarterback at all in this draft class.” To make himself clear, Underhill clarified, “No, just Dart and the rest look better at 40 than they do at 9.” Well, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, too, mocked Dart going No.9. While the analysts have let the cat out of the bag, the NFL giants must proceed with caution. After all, there are pros and cons. Standing at 6-foot-2, the Ole Miss quarterback isn’t that tall. However, he is built well, weighing 225 pounds.
Talking about his skills, he has got good arm talent. But at the same time, he played in a simplistic offense and will need time to adjust to an NFL offense. Not to forget how the quarterback was sacked 9.6 percent of the time when blitzed. Just as Dart is placed above Shedeur, another analyst gave the Ole Miss a taste of how it feels to stay behind.
Analyst and quarterback guru throws cold water on Jaxson Dart’s first-round hopes
The fans are already going gaga over the recent Jaxson Dart hype. That’s when analyst Mina Kimes dropped a bomb on how Tyler Shough might be a better pick for some programs as compared to the Ole Miss quarterback. Well, the ESPN analyst had her reasons. Age here plays a crucial factor. The Louisville quarterback, being older, comes off as a finished product. Kimes shared, “When we talk about quarterback age and why it matters so much to teams and the evaluation process. You know, because we look at a quarterback, and they play forever, right? Some of them play until forties. You think what’s the big deal, they are 26 or 23. It’s not about longevity, it’s about development and evaluation and where they are in that process.”
To her, going by the tape, she found Shough to be more ready than Dart. Since the Lousiville quarterback is at least four years older than the Ole Miss quarterback, it gives him the edge. Given the current situation, most of the NFL giants are quarterback-hungry teams. In that case, they cannot afford to focus on the developmental aspects of the players. Rather, they would be more interested in landing ready-to-play stars. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson’s coach dropped a reality check for Dart’s first-round pipedream.
Legendary quarterback trainer Quincy Avery made stars like Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes what they are today. Going by his rich experience and forte in this position, he thinks that it is high time to tame down lofty expectations for Jaxson Dart. “Really wild to me there are people talking him in 1st round. Like, are we that QB desperate? He’s got one of the best play designers in CFB getting guys open left and right, and the few times he has to go through a progression, it looks very difficult.” Dart’s NFL dreams could hit a speed bump if team execs start buying into the growing wave of doubt from experts.
The post Saints Reporter’s Firm Stance on Jaxson Dart’s NFL Future as Ole Miss QB Sabotages Shedeur Sanders’ Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.
